Doing the “Thriller” dance at Hollywood & Highland. Click image for entire slideshow.

Despite a serious lack of dark musty alleyways, overgrown graveyards, smoke-machine fog and Ola Ray, the spirit of funkified undead was alive and well in the courtyard at Hollywood & Highland Saturday morning, part of an online-organized public performance of the iconic zombie dance in Michael Jackson's “Thriller.” This Los Angeles chapter of “Thrill the World '08” — across the globe, dances in 91 cities in 12 countries took place the same day — was up and at 'em at an hour that ought to make the dead crawl back into their tombs and whimper. In an attempt to hold the world record for the most people to do the “Thriller” dance at one time, dozens of aspiring zombie strutters gathered in the bowels of the shopping complex's garage — level 6E to be exact — with coffee and donuts, makeup and hairspray, costumes and boomboxes to pump up, dress up, and get in last minute practice.

Just before 11 a.m., they began the lurch up to the bright plaza and took their places to the initial bewilderment, and giddy delight of wandering shoppers and tourists. Organized undead steppin' is serious business, of course, and after a countdown the show started right on time… and was such a hit they did it twice more for the crowd.

Check out videos of the performance below from the L.A. chapter's MySpace:

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