Schools

WATCH: 'Harlem Shake' Internet Craze Hits Ross School

30-second video nears 6,000 views in 24 hours.

Goodbye "Gangnam Style," hello "Harlem Shake."

The popular video craze has exploded in the past few days. A YouTube search brings up more than 26,700 results for the latest video craze, including one made at Ross Upper School in East Hampton.

Students at the Ross School — an elite private institution that also has a school for lower grades in Bridgehampton — made their own 30-second "Harlem Shake" video in the senior lounge.

Find out what's happening in Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The video starts with a sole dancer standing on a desk flailing his arms and wearing a jet fighter helmet. Students reading, studying and talking are apparently oblivious to him being there — then it jump cuts to the room full of dancing students, all in costumes.

USA Today reports Harlem Shake video uploads have skyrocketed in the past few days — more than 4,000 are being posted a day.

Find out what's happening in Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Ross School video was posted to YouTube Wednesday and by Thursday at 4 p.m. there were 5,718 views.

The video link is making the rounds on Facebook. Bridgehampton resident and model/actress Christie Brinkley posted it to her fanpage, saying,  "Have you guys heard of the newest internet trend the Harlem Shake? Well here's my son's schools rendition of it, directed by one of his best friends, Ben Sosne."

Some are expressing dismay that video could be deleted from the Internet. A YouTube user commented, "Don't let them take it down! We worked so hard on this."

Brinkley commented on her Facebook page, "... they did it on their own, after school!"

So what exactly is the "Harlem Shake"? According to UPI.com, the roughly 30-second video productions typically start with just one dancer gyrating to DJ Baauer's 2012 "Harlem Shake" soundtrack. Then, when the bass line kicks in, a whole group of people — often in costumes and frequently helmets — join in a dance that can best be described as chaotic.

If the video does not play on your device, click here to watch it on YouTube.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here