Dancing with Matt video released

The new Dancing with Matt video, which includes a grand finale scene filmed at Gas Works Park on June 9, has just been released. It can be viewed at the "Where the Hell is Matt" web site.

Dancing with Matt

Having learned about "Where the Hell is..." Matt's Gasworks Park appearance by reading this very blog, Erma and I made a last-minute decision to head down to the park on Saturday afternoon. We arrived a few minutes after 3:00 to find a large group, several hundred people, gathered on a grassy slope near the old gas works under a threatening sky.

Many were in costume.

There were also a fair number of our four-footed friends in attendance.


Everyone was required to sign a release form. Matt himself said hi to each of us and took a photo. (That's him on the right, with the camera.)

We each got a green rubber wristband, marked with the date and the name of the corporate sponsor. Here's Erma wearing hers, Seattle skyline and Space Needle in view across Lake Union:

The whole operation was very low-key and low-tech. To get everyone organized, Matt just started talking.

He explained that this would be the final scene of his new dancing video. Nothing complicated: he just wanted us all to dance with him, in any way we wanted, with as much energy as possible. There would be no music.

He made sure that we were spread out across the full camera frame.



After we filmed an initial scene, 15 seconds of dancing, we were divided into two groups for the big finale. This scene would begin with Matt dancing alone with one of his nieces, and then the two groups would rush in from off-screen and join him. (Click through to the larger image to see Erma in the crowd.)

The whole affair lasted less than 30 minutes. It was a fun community event--so far as we could tell, everyone was having a good time.

The final video is scheduled to be posted June 21 on Matt's web site, where you can currently view his earlier dancing videos.

Additional pictures we took of the event can be viewed here.

Where the hell is Matt? Well, in Wallingford tomorrow

We've all seen this guy on YouTube, right?



Well, tomorrow is your chance to be immortalized as part of Matt's world dance tour. See below for details.

---

Hi folks,

This is a reminder that I'm coming home to dance in Seattle and we'd
love for you to come and join us.

Please feel free to send this around, post it on blogs and bring as
many friends as you like.

We plan to be there rain or shine so we hope you'll grab an umbrella
or raincoat if it looks like a wet day.

Also, please be sure to RSVP to this address and let us know if you
are coming. If you have already done so please ignore the rest of
this email.

Details on the Seattle event:

We've shooting at Gasworks Park on Saturday, June 7th. Dancing will
commence at 3pm so please arrive early to get signed up.

Here's a link to the Google Map:
http://tinyurl.com/6mwxsw

The photo attached to this email shows where to meet.

In case you didn't get our first email there are more details and
important information in the original email below.

We hope to see you there!
-Matt and Melissa

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <dancewithmatt@gmail.com>

Hi folks

If you're getting this email, you've either signed-up on my site to be
notified or you've written to me and mentioned where you live.

I've been all round this great big world over the last year working on a new
dancing video, and I've danced badly with a lot of people in a lot of
places. On June 7th, I'm coming home from the last leg of my trip and
shooting one last dancing clip at home in Seattle. This is an invitation to
come out and join me.

Several thousand people have already danced with me in dozens of countries
on every continent (except Antarctica, cause it's hard to round up a crowd
there). I'm planning to put Seattle at the very end of the video, and I'm
hoping to cap it off with the biggest crowd of all.

We've shooting at Gasworks Park, which should be able to handle a
decent-sized group. Dancing will commence at 3pm.

Here's a link to the Google Map:
http://tinyurl.com/6mwxsw

The photo attached to this email shows where to meet.

This invite is just going out to people who've signed up on my site or sent
me email, but please feel free to extend it to everyone you know who might
want to participate.

The boring details are below. If you can't make it, you don't need to read
any further:

Please print out the attached release form and sign it ahead of time, if
possible. If you don't have a printer, I'll have copies to hand out.

I'll also need to take a photo of each participant before the dance and
attach it to the release form so we can identify everyone in the video. You
don't need to bring a photo. I'll have a camera.

If you are under 18, you MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian who can
sign the release form and be photographed with you. Those are the rules I
have to follow in order to use the footage. The good news is that my sponsor
is making a donation to charity for each person who signs up and dances with
me.

Again, you're welcome to invite friends to come with you. Just make sure
everyone is okay with signing the release form.

When you get to the spot, look for the guy who looks like the guy in the
dancing video. Just come on over and say hello. I shouldn't be too difficult
to find.

It will take some time to process each person, so depending on how many show
up, I may have to stop accepting forms at some point and shoot the video.
If you come early, it'll make things a bit easier on me.

The whole thing shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to shoot. We'll set up
the shot, dance for about 15 seconds, do it one more time for good measure,
and then try a couple fun variations.

There won't be any music. That gets added later. Dance however you want to
the music in your head, or bring headphones if you prefer :)

This is where I usually tell people I can't guarantee that the clip will end
up in the final video, but in this case I'd say it's a pretty safe bet.

You're welcome to bring your own camera. After the shoot, I'll stick around
for pictures and stuff. I'm happy to dance with you in your own
picture/video, so don't hesitate to ask.

Please reply to this email if you plan to attend and let us know how many
people you think you'll be bringing. It'll help to give us an idea of how
many to expect.

We're planning to put the final video up on the internet on June 21st. It'll
be on my site and YouTube and hopefully pretty much everywhere else that
goofy internet videos are found.

I look forward to dancing badly with you!

-Matt and Melissa