Flash Mob pops up in Wood Street

JULIA WADE

19 Dec, 2022

A dance tribe took to the stage of Wood Street shops with high energy and some funky moves on the morning of December 13, delighting passers-by and shoppers with a five-minute ‘Jerusalema’ flash mob dance.

Inspired by the global phenomena song/dance challenge which went viral in Covid 2020 times, organiser and local pilates teacher Mary Madden of ‘Mangawhai Pilates with Mary’ says it was the first ever ‘Jerusalema’ event in Mangawhai.

“I just love the song, introduced it into my class, added on more dance-fit steps and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed it. All my classes, all levels, all ages up to 88 years, have learnt it,” she says. “The challenge was to take it to the public, out of everyone's comfort zone in the usual class.”

For over 18 years Mary has been passionate about teaching dance and pilates in Mangawhai, a vocation she says she was born to do, and gets a kick out of motivating and inspiring people to move well and ‘do what they thought they couldn't.’

“I love seeing my clients smile after every class, I want to make them feel joyful. Pilates and dance is not a quick fix, it's a permanent change and I'm proud of all my clients, their commitment to their classes is commendable,” she says. “The idea of the dance was to bring some positive vibes to Wood St and just have some fun at the end of the Pilates term, and cause a bit of a raucous. Life is too short to be so serious and it was great to feel the spirit of Christmas in sharing and spreading joy.”

Flash Mob organiser Mary Madden (centre front) said the idea of the dance was to bring some positive vibes to Wood St and just have some fun. PHOTO/JULIA WADE