Zombie Dancers Put on a Thriller Show

ST. PETERSBURG – In 2006, 62 zombies danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which set a Guinness World Record for group zombie dancing. Who would have guessed?

For the past five years, the dancers have grown in numbers, as has the popularity of the "Thriller" dance.

Saturday night marked yet another global "Thriller" dance, with dozens of zombies performing a well-choreographed dance at the city Pier. They joined thousands of zombies from around the world who imitated Michael Jackson's iconic music video. The "Thriller" dance was performed at the same time everywhere.

Founder Ines Markeljevic started an organization called Thrill the World, which is responsible for the annual dance off. Markeljevic’s feat went from just 62 people dancing their way into a world record in 2006 to 22,596 in 2009. The final tally for this past weekend's performance is not in yet.

Each Thrill the World site raises money for a charity of its choice. St. Pete’s choice for 2011 was the Center for Great Apes. Earnings from T-shirt sales and donations go directly to the foundation.