À La Glee, Students Break Out In Song and Dance

With the return of "Glee" this week, you may find yourself wishing that you, too, could spontaneously break out into song or dance. Well, this afternoon, some Harvard students did just that.

Around 1:00 this afternoon, the yard appeared to be in its usual state. Students sat in the yard-chairs doing homework, tourists crowded around John Harvard, and visitors strolled through, enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

Just a few minutes later, amidst confused tourists and unsuspecting students, a round of flash-dance musical chairs broke out. For 15 minutes, music blared and participants danced and fought each other for a seat in one of the pastel-colored yard chairs in front of Grays.

As Lady Gaga's voice flooded the yard, participants fought to avoid elimination during each round.  Between rounds, those eliminated read Emily Dickinson poems over a speaker system while those still in the game prepared themselves for the next round.

In the end, Katerina Solovyova, a visiting pre-frosh, defeated her last opponent to clinch the victory. "I didn't know what was going on, but I was passing by, so I just joined in," said Solovyova. With a smile she added, "I'm pretty sure I'm coming here next year."

The event was one of many, as part of a theatrical initiative by Harvard's American Repertory Theater. A.R.T. Artistic Fellow Allegra E. Libonati said that A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane M. Paulus '87 wants to encourage these types of artistic expression.

Tourists, students, pre-frosh, passersby, and faculty alike are encouraged to participate in these flash-mob events. "The idea is that it's spontaneous, and that it's a composite of students, tourists, and people who just happen to be there," said A.R.T. Marketing Associate Jared Fine, one of the "co-instigators" of the event.

So if you're worried that you missed out on your chance to turn your life into a scene from "Mamma Mia," fear not. Just contact the A.R.T. to find out when the next bout of spontaneity will happen, and in the meantime, try to match this kid's dancing skills. We at FlyBy will be impressed if you come close....

Photo courtesy of Keren E. Rohe ’13.