We Did It!

 It is with complete astonishment that I can report that we danced through the whole routine at Saturday's workshop. From here, it will get easier and easier. And the more people that know it, the easier it is for new people to learn it. I've been getting emails asking when it's too late to join Thrill the World. Answer? 4:30 on October 26, because by then we'll be partying! There’s more than enough time for new Zombies to join us.

  As you know, we learn the routine in 8 sections, and we review a section at a time. Any Zombie can join any time, and will eventually learn all 8 parts, each of which is about 32 beats of music. Individual video lessons for all eight can be found by clicking on the tab above that says Video Lessons.

The Sections are:

1. Zombie March

2. March Booty Swim

3. Shuffle Ha Slide

4. Hip ‘n Roar

5. Wuz Up

6. Oh Snap

7. Head ‘n Shoulders

8. Stomp

The Dance Script can be accessed on the tab above, or you can click on in the Zombie Tool Kit on the right hand side of the page. Feel free to print and use or distribute anything you find there; the script, the pledge sheet, and flyers in Spanish and English.

You can also find audio tracks for practicing on the webpage, under Cyber Café. Some people have had difficulty with this download, so here’s a LINK to the full dance done slowly. You can listen to the track and practice along with it. Please go through the lessons first if you haven’t been able to make a practice yet. And for the love of Mike the Undead, say the words of the script ! Remember,

"It’s not your feet that trip you up, it’s your brain! Keep your brain working and your body will keep moving. It may seem strange or even difficult to talk while dancing, especially for those of you who have never done dance before, but we promise you:

If you can say it, you can do it!"

On Saturday, I talked about online donation site GoFundme. If you are looking for a way to make it easy for friends up North to support you, check it out. It will walk you through the steps to making your own personal donation website. The Cruz Roja Chapala has looked into it and given us the go ahead.

There are two ways to do this. Zombie Margy has sent out the link to the page that I set up for the Ajijic Zombies (and, by the way, got a very generous donation instantly!)You are welcome to use to use it, too. If your sponsor includes your name in the comments when they donate, (i.e.” for Zombie Cyndi “, ) it will show up immediately, right on the web page. The link at the top right of this page where it says "Click here to support The Ajijic Zombies" leads to the donation page that I am managing.

You can also set up your own page. I took about 5 minutes before rehearsal on Saturday to go through it with Zombies Val and Allyson. If you’d like to know more about it or you want help setting up your page, shoot me an email, it's very user friendly.

If you have questions of comments, don't be shy, let me know. If you've thought of it, there's a good chance someone else has as well, and will be grateful to get the answer. Until Saturday

TELL YOUR FRIENDS, LEARN THE DANCE, BREAK THE RECORD, 

HELP CRUZ ROJA

A big Zombie Welcome!

Boy,was I happy to see Veteran Zombies Chick and Don this week. They got to the Centro just in time to help me with some heavy lifting, along with Zombie Isaac, who was very helpful. I'm also happy to welcome back Kathy B, an original Zombie, along with newly undead Esther, Lindy, Ben, and Jim, Clare, Hans,Gail and Kelsie!

   We had a fun class that included a little line dancing to warm up and cool down, as well as to introduce a couple of tricky sections. We stormed through Section 4, Hip 'n Roar, and had plenty of energy left for sections 5 and 6, which are Wuz Up and Oh Snap/ Rock on, respectively.

    There are only eight sections altogether, so we have two left to go, and then you'll know the whole routine! Once we've gone through all eight, we'll start back at the beginning and continue that way, teaching the sections in a loop so that fresh Zombie recruits can join at anytime. You Zoms who started at the beginning will be able to do it in your sleep by Thrill Time.

I've added a countdown timer at the top right just so you can scare yourself to death. More important, just under the translation button, you will find links to the printable documents that everyone should have in their Zombie tool kit. They are;

1. The Script
2. The Pledge Sheet
3. The Flyer
4. The Flyer in Spanish
and last but not least

5. How your friends and family up North can sponsor you
Make sure they let you know when they do, so you can tell Charlie K. at Superlakes or Margy, who will be at practices. You could win a prize!*

I hope you're enjoying it so far...I certainly am, and as Hans and Clare pointed out, it's great exercise. Think of it as the Zombie Fitness Plan.

See you Saturday!

P.S. * There is no prize, I lied. But we will certainly shower money raisers with lots of attention. Zombie Hugs!

First Practice!

We had 41 new Zombies, which is a FANTASTIC turnout! Everybody did a great job, and we learned three, ( almost four, if you squint) sections of choreography. They are:
1.ZOMBIE MARCH.
2. MARCH BOOTIE SWIM.
3.SHUFFLE HA SLIDE  (remember, we do tick tock instead of hop hop)
4. HIP AND ROAR (this is the one that doesn't 100% count as learned. Close, though!)

There's only eight sections, so you're practically halfway there!

More news, I had a nice meeting with Makeup Zombies Ann and Dee this afternoon to review our inventory from last year and see what we need for this year. If anyone is going to the States or Canada between now and Thrill Day, let us know, we'll definitely have an order! Zombies Jon and Cheryl have already stepped up, but more is better, so no single Zombie has to lug too much back.
   See you next Saturday, and recruit your friends to be Zombies. Thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm in showing up to get a good head start. Zombie Hugs!

Zombie News, September 1 2013

FIRST REHEARSAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 

AT AJIJIC CENTRO CULTURAL, 1:00!!

       "Hey folks, guess what? This year we are helping International Film Writer/Director, John Ward, with his new comedy movie about Ajijic and the characters that live here - working title "Thriller in Ajijic." 

It's a "mockumentary" based on the events leading up to "Thrill the World" starring local actors and personalities, including yours truly. If you want to be in the film, you can be. If you'd prefer not to be, you don't have to be.

Anyone who wants to be in the audition/rehearsal scenes will be asked to sign a release of voice and image. 

Here's your chance to leave a lasting impression and help the Red Cross!"

MORE ZOMBIE NEWS

1. Final Filter ( I hope)

I know that some of you have slipped through the cracks of my email list disaster. I apologize AGAIN, and if you hit reply with "Unsubscribe" in the body, I think I'll be able to get it cleaned up once and for all.

2. In other news, boy, did you see the nice article in the Guad Reporter last Friday? If we're already getting press, we're off on the right foot!

2. While you’re here, click on the tabs at the top of the screen that say "Video Lessons" and "Dance Script,", you can learn everything you need to know, even if you never come to a single rehearsal.

4. Speaking of Rehearsals, the first one of the year is on September 7, at the Ajijic Cultural Center at 1:00

5. The larger community is really getting involved in Thrill the World. Our Delegado, Hector Espana Ramos, is organizing a parade through the village, and LCS is going to have a Haunted House! But maybe most exciting of all is that a hilarious movie is being made, one man's comic imagining of what getting this event together is like. 

See you at the Cultural Center, and Dance on!