Sarasota High Students Plan 'Thriller' Performance

More than 150 Sarasota High School students rehearse for three weeks to perfect the elaborate choreography of Michael Jackson's ‘Thriller’. Then the students audition to be among those selected to take the dance on the road to Sarasota’s St. Armands Circle, in a tribute to the late performer.

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21, the students will try out for a panel of judges in the school’s east gymnasium. Fifty students will be chosen to perform on Halloween night, a school district news release said.

On Halloween, after spending hours in make-up and costume prep, the students will head to St. Armands Circle. At 6:30 p.m. on Halloween night they will do a “zombie walk,” luring unsuspecting tourists and locals to the park in the center of the circle, where they will perform Jackson’s “Thriller” dance at 8 p.m.

“This has become such a huge event on St. Armands,” said Melissa Dweck, drama teacher at SHS. “Last year it affected traffic on the circle because so many people turned out for it, so this year they have decided to move us to the center of the circle for the dance.

“We have appeared in New England newspapers because of tourists visiting St. Armands who saw it and took photos. One family from Vermont planned their vacation this year around Halloween, just to be able to see our ‘Thriller’ performance,” said Dweck in the news release. 

The St. Armands Circle Fright Night is in its third year. In addition to the Sarasota High School “Thriller” performance, shops and restaurants will be open and booths will offer candy for trick-or-treaters.