Sample Class: Flash Mob Dance!
Imagine you’re shopping in the mall when you hear Beyoncé’s girl-power anthem “Single Ladies” over the house speakers. One by one, dancers—whom you thought were shoppers like yourself—begin mimicking the moves from the infamous video until nearly 100 people of all shapes and sizes are performing en masse. You can’t help but smile, and you’re dying to join in!
Whether you’ve experienced the energy of a flash mob live or just watched the hits for these videos skyrocket on YouTube, you can easily integrate a flash mob–style routine into your current cardio dance class. The routines include simple, repetitive choreography that molds to the song’s structure and lyrics. The sequences are easy to teach and will create memorable moments.
Note: The 12 minutes per routine is a guideline. You will be stopping and starting as you teach the choreography.
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
Song: “This Instant” (featuring T-Pain) by Sophia Fresh
Intro: “Clap your hands to the beat this instant . . .”
- Step wide + clap right (R), left (L); march wide R, L 4x (8 counts, repeat 4x).
Verse: “Hey lil’ mama . . .”
- Slide hip-toss (slow) R, L 8x; pose R, pose L, slide hip-toss (slow) R, L 4x.
Bridge: “Fire, fire, burnin’, burnin’ . . .”
- Full turn R, L + cross tap front R, L + cross dig back R, L (16 counts, repeat 2x).
Chorus: “This is the part that you dance to, and shake your funky stuff . . .”
- Syncopated wide step up and back to four walls (16 counts).
Repeat intro, verse, bridge and chorus.
The Break: “Clap your hands to beat, understand me . . .”
- Step back wide single, single, double (hip-hop style) (8 counts).
- Walk forward in straight line (4 counts); walk low (hip-hop) (4 counts).
- Step back wide single, single, double (hip-hop style) (8 counts).
- Walk forward in straight line (4 counts); pump R arm (4 counts).
- Slow, smooth side reaches R, L (32 counts).
Repeat choreography in this order: Bridge, intro, verse, then dance the hip toss step until the song fades out.
Flash Mob 1: Divas to the Dance Floor (12 minutes)
Song: “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé
Intro: “All the single ladies, all the single ladies . . .”
- Hip flick R, L, with L hand flipping front to back, R hand on hip (4 counts, repeat 6x).
- Walk forward R, L, relieve L foot with R leg out to side, hands relaxed in high-V overhead (finishes 8 count).
Verse: “Up in the club, we just broke up . . .”
- Cross R over L, sit into L hip, shake L hip down-down-up, slide R, L knee in-out-in, kick L front with fists low-V, chin nod up, down (8 counts).
- Step L, body roll down, pivot onto R foot, looking R with L hand “dissin’ ” (8 counts).
- “Hen walk” on balls of feet, hands behind low back, elbows out; step/hold on L (8 counts).
- Kick ball change R; step R opening to back wall; step L, L arm pushes to side, hold. Step R, R arm pushes to side, hold; swerve hips R, L 2x (8 counts).
- Sit in R hip, arms in circle overhead. Bounce down 7 counts, pivot to front, sit R hip (8 counts).
- Slow bounce down 4x (8 counts).
Chorus: “Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it . . .”
- Syncopated tap in starting R, single, single, double with elbows squared and touching in, out (8 counts).
- Walk back R 4x, R arm straight up from shoulder rocking in, out. Walk R back circle, L arm straight up from shoulder rocking in, out (8 counts).
- Face R wall, look down; knees pop R, L, with same-arm low punches (rhythm: 1, 2, 1-2-3 with head lift on count 3, 2x; 8 counts).
- Step back L, R (rhythm: 1, 2, 1-2-3), outside turn 1-2-3 on R lead. End facing front.
Repeat first 16 counts of chorus, verse, chorus 2x; fade out.
Flash Mob 2: Hip-Hop Heartbreak (12 minutes)
Song: “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green
Intro: Step-touch with clap (32 counts).
Verse: “I see you driving ’round town with the girl I love . . .”
- Feet wide, lean back; lean R with L arm “driving.” Repeat L (8 counts).
- Walk in outside circle R, L, with L hand shaking in air (8 counts).
- With feet wide, hip-thrust R, L; roll body up to open palms (8 counts).
- Chug with thumbs up double R, L, chug single R, L, jump together R foot in front, R hand at eye level making “two” fingers (8 counts).
- “Gospel V-step” slow R, L front and back; front R, L + full turn R, L together (16 counts).
- Step R, cross L, travel forward (slow) with low R hand snaps. Shift R, L, hold R with “sunshine” hands (8 counts).
- Repeat L traveling backward, full outside turn L, R, L to front (8 counts).
Chorus: “Yeah, I’m sorry I can’t afford a Ferrari . . .”
- Pony step R, L around room with freestyle arms (32 counts).
- Full turn with “Motown” dig step on each end with rolling arms (32 counts).
Repeat verse and chorus 2x, building energy on each round. Allow students to end with customized pose.
Flash Mob 3: Glee! (12 minutes)
Song: “Any Way You Want It/Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’” by Glee cast
“Anyway you want it, that’s the way you need it . . .”
- Disco pose finger point R, L, R; hip and arm circles single, single, double L, R.
Part 1: “She loves to laugh, she loves to sing . . .”
- Grapevine R, L, R with hip freestyle dance 4 counts; repeat L, R, L (32 counts).
Part 2: “It won’t be long, yeah . . .”
- Chase R, L forward 4x, walk back with “swing” arms (32 counts).
Part 3: “Cause he’s lovin’, he’s touchin’, he’s squeezin’ . . .”
- Wrap R hand to L shoulder, L hand to R shoulder, R hand to L hip, L hand to R hip; drop hands to floor and shimmy up. Wave arms down, stomp R foot with hands raised 4x (32 counts).
Part 4: Guitar solo.
- Split room in half and chase in opposite circles. Each half heads to opposing side walls.
Repeat in following order: part 1, part 2, part 1, part 3, part 1, part 2, part 4 poses + one hip/arm circle L. Part 1, part 2 (split room in half and have one side chase forward and the other side swing walk back). End with “rock star” pose R, L, feet apart with both hands raised for big finish.
Cool-Down (5 minutes)
“Who Says” by Selena Gomez & The Scene
Verse: “You made me insecure . . .”
- Walk 4 steps side to R, pull R arm down slowly, pull down quickly R, L; repeat L.
Bridge: “Na na na na . . .”
- Single, single, double slide front R, L, walk back R 8x, crossing arms low, middle, high, feet wide; shimmy shoulders.
Chorus: “Who says, who says you’re not perfect . . .”
- Triangle pose R with two arm circles, up to standing. Switch feet and repeat L, hips side to side.
Filler: “Who says you’re not star potential . . .”
- Step touch 2x, shimmy shoulders, repeat around room to different partners. High-five last partner to finish (8 counts).