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Why are 100 dancing zombies putting on a 'spooktacular' show in Santa Barbara?

A Thriller Dance event takes place Saturday in Santa Barbara
World Dance For Humanity
A Thriller Dance event takes place Saturday in Santa Barbara

They’re part of a worldwide dance event with a Halloween theme.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller is one of the most iconic music videos of all time – with zombies performing dance moves that have since taken on a life and momentum of their own.

"We get dressed up as ghouls or zombies or whatever people like, and we dance around town," explained Janet Reineck from non-profit World Dance for Humanity in Santa Barbara.

She is hosting the event in the city and says they’re expecting over 100 Thriller dancers at the Sunken Gardens as part of a worldwide fundraising event.

"From Algeria to Austria and Brazil...our dancers are all ages, all backgrounds," she said. "It's a really spectacular experience...Spooktacular experience!"

It’s all for a good cause – raising money for the Boys and Girls Club and for aid in Rwanda and Ukraine.

The main event takes place on Saturday the 28th at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens at 2pm.

There are also Thriller flashmobs until October 31.

Caroline joined KCLU in October 2020. She won LA Press Club's Audio Journalist of the Year Award for three consecutive years in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Since joining the station she's also won 11 Golden Mike Awards, 8 Los Angeles Press Club Journalism Awards, 4 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards and three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for Excellence in Writing, Diversity and Use of Sound.

She started her broadcasting career in the UK, in both radio and television for BBC News, 95.8 Capital FM and Sky News and was awarded by Prince Philip for her services to radio and journalism in 2007.

She has lived in California for twelve years and is both an American and British citizen - and a very proud mom to her daughter, Elsie.