'Thriller' dance among pop-up classes offered at Tampa academy

With Halloween upon us, the New Heights Dance Academy thought it would be fun to teach a class about Michael Jackson’s iconic "Thriller" music video.

TAMPA, Fla. - With Halloween upon us, the New Heights Dance Academy thought it would be fun to teach a class about Michael Jackson’s iconic "Thriller" music video.

"The ‘Thriller’ dance is really an American icon. I always wanted to make it my party trick, so when I saw the sign, I was in," Kimberly Parent said.

New Heights Dance Academy owner Cassie Plumridge is on the same page.

"It's a fun Halloween party trick, so you come in, you learn the moves, and then at your Halloween parties or events, when ‘Thriller’ comes on, you can bust out into a dance move," Plumridge said.

The New Heights Dance Academy in Tampa offers numerous pop-up classes, including the "Thriller" dance.

The four-week class is taught by Collico Entertainment choreographer Devin Collins. He teaches bits and pieces of the dance each week during an hour-long session. By week three, participants can perform the entire section.

"As they get comfortable with what they've already learned, they can really put forth the effort to learn more of the dance, and by the time you get to the end, it's like a natural," Collins said. "It just gets in your body and you're so comfortable doing it, that it's like second nature, and that's when I feel as a choreographer and as a teacher that I've done my job, and I've helped out."

The class attracted a small group of women with varying levels of dance experience. Parent has been dancing her entire life.

The New Heights Dance Academy in Tampa offers numerous pop-up classes, including the "Thriller" dance.

"It's actually a lot of fun. We're all kind of learning the dance as a group. We're all trying to figure out the counts as a group," Parent said. "It's really kind of made us a nice, cohesive troupe to dance, and the level of confidence has definitely increased since day one."

Lauren Mazza Young, also an experienced dancer, joined for the camaraderie.

"We can laugh at each other or help each other out if we need to," Mazza Young said. "I love getting to make these connections because as you get older, it gets harder to make friends, so we're all kind of in this together, so it's been great."

The New Heights Dance Academy in Tampa offers numerous pop-up classes, including the "Thriller" dance.

The "Thriller" class is one of a handful of specialty pop-up classes that New Heights offers in addition to the year-long ballet, hip-hop and contemporary classes. The Tampa Heights-based studio serves dancers 2 years old and up and currently has 37 classes running during the fall season.

Mazza Young is ready to take the lessons from the "Thriller" class out into the wild.

The New Heights Dance Academy in Tampa offers numerous pop-up classes, including the "Thriller" dance.

"I am so excited. I already have my costume ready. I've got a pinstripe jacket and a bolo hat and fake blood, so I'm super excited to do this. I want to join a flash mob or something," Mazza Young said.

For more information on the New Heights Dance Academy, click here.

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