Jerusalema world record for Plett?

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PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettonians seem to have an extra spring in their step after the town came together in a very big way on Saturday 22 August for what turned out to be the biggest #JerusalemaDanceChallenge to date – as far as can be established.

About 700 people lined Plettenberg Bay's Main Street, and in perfect harmony, showed off their moves to the Master KG hit, Jerusalema.

Sparked by the infectious beat of the SA musician's single, the #JerusalemaDanceChallenge was born and spread across the globe. While the original music video, which premiered in December last year and features female vocalist Nomcebo Zikode, has amassed more than 71-million views, it was the dance moves of a few friends in Angola that got the challenge under way when they posted their choreography on YouTube in February this year.

Today, the hashtag delivers thousands of videos of groups of people worldwide mimicking the dance moves.

Photo gallery: Jerusalema draws a crowd in Plett

Although there is no official record for the largest group to perform the moves, videos viewed under the hashtag fall short of Plett's feat as on average, the footage depicts only five to 20 people taking on the challenge.

About 700 Plettenberg Bay residents came together in the town's Main Street on 22 August to take part in the Jerusalema dance challenge. Photo: Martin Hurwitz

Organiser and local resident Denise McNamara said she was blown away by the response to her call. "I hoped a thousand people would show up – I never in my wildest dreams thought we would get so close to that number," McNamara said.

She added that the motivation behind the challenge was not only to boost the morale of locals, but also to create exposure for the town. "The challenge has created a way for us to show off our beautiful community to the rest of the world and hopefully it brings people here."

She also noted that all dancers participated in a disciplined manner. "Everyone wore their masks and kept their social distancing. It was truly a moment to be proud of."

Since the challenge, McNamara said, there has been a definite shift in the mood of everyone in the town. "Everyone seems to be jolly at the moment."

A professional drone video of the event is currently being produced and will be shared on social media platforms in the near future.About 700 Plettenberg Bay residents came together in the town's Main Street on 22 August to take part in the Jerusalema dance challenge. Photo: Martin Hurwitz