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Posted on Fri, Sep 21, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.

University of Michigan students dance 'Gangnam Style' at Diag Flash Mob

By Kyle Mattson

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The University of Michigan campus is no stranger to flash mobs.

In 2011, students celebrated graduation with a dance to "Send me on my way", an annual freeze mob occurs each spring, and numerous University organizations have gotten in on the act.

Although the sudden scene of people dancing in unison may no longer be as much of a surprise as it was in 2003, it still provides plenty of fun for participants and the unsuspecting passerby.

Nearly 2,000 students said they were attending the event organized on Facebook by International Studies freshman and Ann Arbor native Drew Walker. Approximately half that number showed up this afternoon to perform the increasingly popular "cowboy" dance made famous by Korean rapper PSY in his Gangnam Style music video. Most students kept to the benches of the Diag and unfortunately there were some "technical difficulties" with the sound making the dance more of a group-mime, but it will still be a memory to recall in the future for the participating students.

Here's a video we captured from the event, but keep an eye on YouTube for the student-produced version coming soon. Note: We've overlaid the video with the Gangnam Style song due to the low volume at the event

Comments

Stephen Landes

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 9:09 p.m.

Better some innocent fun than drinking -- have at it.

Angry Moderate

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.

I don't think they understand what "flash mob" means.

julieswhimsies

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 8:19 p.m.

I love this! What fun!

Mick52

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.

Best flashmob dance I've ever seen is the first one I've seen, the flashmob in Antwerp train station in 2009. It is particularly great in that it has people of all ages and the kids entering from the main stairway is epic! http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=bQLCZOG202k&feature=endscreen The youtube video however has been ruined by popup ads.

smokeblwr

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.

This fad is bad and they should feel bad!

Laiane

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 1:19 p.m.

Words cannot even begin to express how much I do not care about this.

riverguy

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 3:13 p.m.

Apparetly you cared enough to post a comment. If you truly didn't care at all, you wouldn't have even clicked on the article.

TinyArtist

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 2:02 p.m.

Yes! What she didn't say.

NotABleedingHeartLiberal

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : noon

One of the local radio stations is giving away an IPhone5 to the winning Gangnam style video they choose. I would be willing to bet this was planned for submission to that!

Billy

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 11:40 a.m.

OPPAN GANGNAM STYLE!!!

a2grateful

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 11:10 a.m.

Oh - - - my - - - word. . . I was walking across the diag, minding my own business when this riot ensued. . . I choked on my baguette, spilling me coffee, gasping in astonishment, fearing for my life. . . This mob was far worse than the anarchist sidewalk bicyclists that destroy my martini experience at the outdoor bistros on Main Street. . . On Monday, I am calling the mayor, for he is such a great leader in initiating and instituting bans for such travesties. . . He's definitely the one to talk with when it comes to regulating folly. . . You could even say that mayor and council wrote the book on folly. . . What is that, you say? The mayor and city have no jurisdiction over UM property? Thank goodness. . . Thanks for the joy, UM flash mobbers! Thanks for the coverage, a2.com.

CincoDeMayo

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 11:09 a.m.

Like the reporter stated, it wasn't perfect, but it WAS a lot of fun, and something for the participants to remember.

Geoff

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 10:52 a.m.

When you advertise that you're going to do a dance routine to Gangnam Style - it's a performance not a flash mob. The charm of a flash mob is that the group starts performing without any warning to the delight of everyone in the vicinity.

Mick52

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 7:10 p.m.

I agree, this was horrible. If this goes up on Youtube, it can't as a flash mob. There are great flash mobs on Youtube and this does not compare.

Geoff

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.

I'm all for public entertainment like this, and good on them for putting it on - but it ain't a flash mob!

Craig Lounsbury

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 3:06 p.m.

Geoff, my thoughts as well.

Kyle Mattson

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 12:37 p.m.

Agreed Geoff, but it was a good effort on the part of the student organizing it.

KathrynHahn

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 7:40 a.m.

I thought this would be fun, but sorry to say, this is the worst coverage. Bad photo's, mostly of people holding cameras watching what I wanted to watch, and the video was not well thought out, bad sound quality & angle. Should have scrapped the article with lack of good photo's or a video to accompany it.

Kyle Mattson

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 12:34 p.m.

Kathryn- The photos and video capture what it was like pretty closely. Most of the attendees were holding cameras and watching rather than dancing, and as noted the music was barely audible (which is why we added the track to the video). There were students working on a more produced video so we didn't want to steal their thunder, and instead tried to capture as much as what it was like for a student there attending.

smokeblwr

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.

Can we install some of these signs all around town please? No more Gangnam Style, for the love of kimchi! http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/5218289_700b_v1.jpg

smokeblwr

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 6:47 p.m.

I'll thumbs up myself to make up for it. I usually don't do that, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do....

Geoff

Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 10:56 a.m.

Sorry - I accidentally clicked the thumbs down button and can't undo it!

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