One official definition of “flash mob” says it’s “a group of at least 10 people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time, and then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire and artistic expression.” Anyone lucky enough to be on the grounds of Malibu’s Chili Cook-Off on Friday night (aka Locals’ Night) at 6:45 p.m. is sure to witness a flash mob of community dancers who will suddenly appear, launch into a five-minute-long performance and then disperse back into the crowd.
The flash mob is being produced by local residents Ethan and Nikki White—professional dancers and self-employed choreographers and dance instructors. Under the umbrella of the Whites’ “4 the Village” nonprofit, their “Malibu Moves” page invites everyone to participate in the flash mob by learning the dances that Nikki choreographed to a mash-up of different songs. Her dance instruction videos are posted online, and aspiring flash mobsters can use them to learn the moves on their own (4thevillage.org/malibu-moves).
“There are six different songs in the mash-up,” she said. “It starts off with Level one, the easiest, and goes up to level five. The very last song is a free dance to do whatever you want. Dancers can go as far up the level of difficulty as they want. Each song will play for 45 seconds before it goes on to the next song at the higher level.” The musical selections offer something for everyone—from Bruno Mars to Barry Manilow.
Dancers were also given the opportunity to attend three classes taught by the Whites and their colleague Ikolo Griffin at the Boys & Girls Club Teen Center (the final class is Thursday, Aug. 30, from 3:30-4:30). In addition, Nikki is teaching and practicing the dance moves for the flash mob as part of her regular classes on Westward Beach (the last one is Friday, Aug. 31, 9-10 a.m.).
This is not the first local performance the Whites have choreographed, although it will be their first Malibu flash mob. The couple’s first community production took place in April at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School with “Peter Pan,” which included children and parents.
“I think the experience was even more magical for the parents,” Ethan said. “It was a confidence builder to have them doing dance moves and fight scenes with their kids. After ‘Peter Pan,’ we asked ourselves, ‘What’s next?’ Let’s keep the momentum going. The parents were also asking, ‘What’s next?”
The Whites had started talking with Kasey Earnest, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu, about doing something together, and Ethan came up with the idea of doing a flash mob for the Chili Cook-Off—which would not only engage BGCM members and any interested member of the community, but also add to the entertainment value of the Chili Cook-Off & Carnival. This will be the first year the Boys and Girls Club is the lead organizer of the annual fundraising event.
“It will be a surprise to us to see how many people learn the dances online and then just show up for the flash mob,” the couple said.
This is just the beginning of what the Whites want to do for the community. They describe their “4 the Village” nonprofit as a “fundraising and community development platform for local schools.” Anyone can post a free listing on the website—often local artisans or service providers—as long as they agree to donate 10 percent of any sales back to the local school of their choice.
“It’s called ‘4 the Village’ because “everything we do is for the village—the community of Malibu,” the couple said—that includes their two children, ages two and five.
The Whites and Griffin plan to start teaching all styles of dance at the Boys and Girls Club every Tuesday. “You see the disparity in access to services [like dance classes] here at BGCM,” Nikki noted.
“All the [sense of] community they’ve created in just two months is amazing to me,” Griffin said. “Dance is perfect for kids: It teaches focus, discipline and imagination. It made my whole career.”
All three dance instructors met as professional dancers in the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco, and all danced professionally for about 15 years before becoming instructors, including stints for the Whites on Paula Abdul’s “Live to Dance” competition. All three teach in various LA area studios and also take on choreography for various productions like the “Nutcracker.” In Malibu, Nikki has taught at Dance Star and offers annual ballet camps at the Malibu Playhouse.
“Scott Gillen (head of ‘Unvarnished’) and The Agency just came onboard as the flash mob sponsors,” Earnest shared.
