From the twist and shout to Gangnam Style, dance moves are a never-ending trend. The Harlem Shake: Just another to add to the collection.
DJ and producer Harry Rodrigues, otherwise known as Bauuer, released the Harlem Shake in May 2012. However, it wasn’t until February 2013 that the song took off. After a group of college students made a video of them dressed in ridiculous costumes dancing to Harlem Shake, their video went viral and so did the song.
As the song plays, one person starts to dance while the people around them sit or stand quietly. As the song drops, crowds of people begin to dance covered head to toe in absurd outfits and masks. Soon enough everyone was doing the Harlem Shake, from classrooms to college campuses; the song and dance had spread.
In the wake of the college students’ viral video, many other people, from soldiers to firemen to even an entire swim team, posted their own renditions of the Harlem Shake. Many of the videos were posted to YouTube receiving millions of views just as the original did. It wasn’t long before the dance made it to Palmetto.
“We saw videos online and other schools like Belen doing it [the Harlem Shake] and wanted to beat theirs,” said senior Gio Barrios. “During second period I was filmed alone dancing in the pawvillion and we were going to have everyone in second lunch go crazy for when the song drops to put together the video.”
Word spread around school that the dance would be taking place during second lunch on Valentine’s Day. Sure enough, ten minutes into lunch, the song came on and Barrios began dancing wearing the Panther Mascot head. As the famous line “Now do the Harlem Shake” played, everyone in the Pawvillion got on top of the tables to dance. Students were dressed in everything from snorkel masks to morph suits. The Harlem Shake rendition in that second lunch made a lasting memory for many students.
“It was spread by word of mouth and the entire school knew it is so easy and funny to do,” said senior Antonio Goitia. “In the end, the videos give everyone a little taste of fame on YouTube”
