So you’ve decided you join to do a flash mob. You’ve seen Oprah’s flash mob, you saw that Modern Family flash mob episode, you’ve watched many flash mob proposals online and thought “hey, I want to do that.” And I say to you YES. Good god yes do it. Flash mobs are fun and full of joy. I think everyone should do at least once.

Are all flash mobs the same? NO. Depending on who’s organizing it, your experience can be wildly different. It can suck. Like why-am-I-doing-this-I-can’t-believe-I-got-suckered-into-this-I’m-embarrassed-please-don’t-look-at-me SUCK. But if you find the right flash mob  you will have an amazing experience, meet wonderful people, and you’ll have archival footage of a beautiful moment in time. And frankly when you’re 85 and just walking becomes difficult, this footage will become incredibly precious.

Here are 5 important things I’ve learned from the multiple flash mobs I’ve completed.

1. Make sure the choreographers dance style is something you like.
This is important. If you don’t like the dance style you’re not going to enjoy the flash mob at all. I know in myself I would not enjoy a tap flash mob. Nor would I enjoy an ethereal modern dance style flash mob. If you hear of a flash mob that is taking place find out who’s choreographing the routine and watch their videos. This is an accurate description of what you’re going to go through. Do the dancers look unsure of themselves? That’s a bad sign. Are there only 3 dancers in the flash mob? This does happen and yes it’s as awkward as you think it would be. Finding the right flash mob to join is a bit tricky but not impossible.

2. Be prepared to practice a lot and possibly be used very little.
This could be a hit to your ego but you gotta remember that this is a flash mob, not your personal dance performance. If a solo is what you’re looking for, fire up the video camera, set your speakers to 11, and dance. Post on YouTube. I want to see it. But soloists are rarely used in a flash mob. And that’s by design. The choreographer usually books a flash mob for a specific purpose whether it be a proposal or a birthday so he/she has a grand vision of what the dance needs to look like. You might spend hours learning the routine and in the end you’re in the back waving your arms. That’s ok. There’s probably a very polite reason why you’re in the back. Let’s not talk about it. Just enjoy what you’re doing. Wave your arms FULL OUT.

3. You will probably have to buy new clothes.
My wardrobe consists of a lot of conservative greys, blacks and whites. And sometimes a flash mob will involve a specific color spectrum that I would never consider purchasing. But you gotta do it. You’re part of the mob. The mob needs to look the same. But hey cheap flash mob clothes can always be found at Target. Or ask your friends. Just be sure to tell them that you’re gonna sweat in their clothes. Like a lot.

4. You will make new friends from this flash mob.
Every time I do a flash mob I come out of it with 5-6 new friends. If you’re interested in meeting new people, this is the way to do it. I am off the dating scene but I can say this is a great way to meet other single people. There’s no pressure. There’s no worry of what’s your opening line. And if you’re lucky enough to do a flash mob with me and you need a wing-girl, I’m an excellent wing-girl. I’m old and I don’t care. If I sense someone is open to talking about their personal life, I’m the one who asks all the probing questions because I can’t help myself.

You have a piercing where?
What exactly is polyamory and how does one get involved?
Your tongue can go that far?
So you’ve been single for so long but haven’t been able to find a nice guy? Have you met…(insert your name here)?

5. Flash mobs are less stressful than dance workshops. And cheaper.
Dance workshops are great. Don’t get me wrong. You rehearse for 10 weeks to nail a routine and you perform in front of an audience. That’s great. It’s an achievement I’m happy to say I’ve completed. But it made me crazy. Workshops cost $250+ and you must commit a good chunk of your time to rehearsals or else the quality degrades. Flash mobs are cheap and sometimes free. Yes. This means free dance classes. You get to learn some great dance moves for free.

So. You ready? Wanna join a flash mob? There’s one starting this weekend in the SF and I highly recommend you do it.

SF Flash Mob Crew is starting practice this weekend. Learn more about this group and the flash mob schedule here.

They will be dancing to Jason Derulo’s Marry Me.

I did a flash mob with SF Flash Mob Crew in December 2013 and it was amazing. It was like 40 degrees with wind near the Ferry Building and it was still the best time ever.

SF Flash Mob’s routines are fantastic, you will have a good time, you will meet some beautiful + talented people, and the production value of their finished product is amazing. Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of this? Yeah. I know. You can’t think of any reason to say no. So don’t. Practice starts on Saturday 3/8/2014 at 2pm at City Dance. Go.