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Filipino Prisoners Dance to Michael Jackson (Again) (Video)

9:04 a.m. · January 27, 2010 · by Nick Neyland

Remember those Filipino inmates who danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and became a sensation? They’re at it again, this time with a version of a routine picked up from Jackson’s rehearsal footage feature film, This Is It. The new YouTube clip has already pickjed up over one million views, despite only being released on Friday (Jan. 22).

“Michael saw the Cebu dancing inmates on YouTube and enjoyed them immensely,” said his choreographer, Travis Payne. “During rehearsals, we would watch and he would get tremendous joy.” If that wasn’t weird enough, it turns out that this new routine was performed under instruction from Payne himself.

The choreographer flew out to the Philippines with two of Jackson’s former backing dancers and taught the four-minute routine to the inmates. All the instruction was completed and executed (uh…perhaps that’s the wrong choice of word here) in one day, and is being used to promote the DVD launch of This Is It.

[via Gigwise]