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This Is It Shows What Was Not To Be A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Deborah Rose Michael Jackson may be gone but he still managed to thrill the world twice last week. First, there was the Thrill the World international dance event on Saturday, October 24, setting a new world record for the most people simultaneously performing Jackson's iconic "Thriller" music video dance routine. Almost 23,000 zombie-clad people in 32 countries, including the U. S, Canada, China, Germany and England, participated in this global dance that raised $85,000 for 80 different charities.
 Poster for This Is It the movie. The idea for this dance event began 2006 after a group of 62 zombies set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Thriller Dance in one location at a community hall in Canada, followed up by another event - Thrill Toronto. Thrill the World was launched in 2007, when 1,722 people and 17 different countries participated. A week before Halloween was an appropriate time of year for this dance spectacle to take place, considering Thriller's haunting theme, but Michael's passing just 4 months ago gave the event even greater poignancy. The Los Angeles location for the dance was in front of the Staples Center, where Jackson had been rehearsing for his extravagant series comeback concerts that were to take place at London's 02 Arena last July. More than 3,000 dancers, of all ages and walks of life, showed off their "Thriller" moves, as an eerie, crowd-stopping Michael Jackson look-alike walked around with an umbrella and an entourage. Last week the world also saw the release of the much-anticipated Michael Jackson's "This Is It" movie capturing the King of Pop's concert rehearsals. Director Kenny Ortega had the difficult task of editing over 100 hours of rehearsal footage down to less than two hours. The film is really a documentary, giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a creative genius at work and all the extraordinary efforts involved with such a massive musical production. Throughout the movie we witness Ortega collaborating very respectfully with Jackson to help the pop star deliver his artistic vision. In the process, Michael is revealed to be a perfectionist with a gentle spirit, making sure all of his requests are delivered with love and blessings. We are treated to some of Michael's beautiful vocals and amazing dance sequences as he rehearses with the other dancers. Although at times it was hard to look at his gaunt face and his emaciated body, it was astounding to watch him still able to perform his rigorous dance moves with such precision and joy. There a couple of touching moments when after he has finished a routine he just stands there with his eyes closed and smiles.
 The author and a Michael Jackson impersonator. There is also a surprising clip in the movie when Jackson is thanking his dancers and crew, where he gives an impassioned speech about his concern about the welfare of the planet and how we only have about four years to turn things around. Once again, we see not just his talent, but the genuine, caring heart of the man. The movie ends before what would have been a finale with his humanitarian anthem, "Heal the World," which was to include fifty small children from different countries on stage signing the lyrics to the song. Although there is sadness knowing that he never got to reap the accolades for all his hard work and creative vision through his concert performances, the film will ultimately enable him to reach millions of more people with his environmental message and the restoration of his musical legacy. The movie was initially set for a 2-week run, but since the first week it has generated over 101 million dollars worldwide, it was just announced that the film will now be shown through Thanksgiving. Michael would be so happy and thankful that he could once again, thrill the world!
 Scenes from the Thrill the World international dance event in Los Angeles. Related Links: For more information on MICHAEL JACKSON and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- MichaelJackson.com | ThisIsIt-Movie.com | Hippiefest.net | Buy This Is It CD | Search "Michael Jackson"
(Originally Published on November 13, 2009) |
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