The Power of One..

I wasn't intending to post tonight, but after running across this amazingly.. joyful video, I felt compelled. (Via, godlikeproductions, of course.) It starts with The Weird Dude at the outdoor festival dancing alone. He's awkward and a really bad dancer, but there's something about his energy that works its magic on the crowd. He's unashamedly a freak, and he doesn't care who knows it. He dances with no inhibition and the primitive, rarely accessed chord that lives in everyone just.. resonated.

The event breaks down into interesting increments, and you can actually witness the change in energy dynamic by watching the timer while watching the video. In the first minute, he's joined by another man and then another, but the energy is essentially just him. At 1:12, the video changes dynamic with the arrival of the first group of people, and critical mass has begun. By 1:20, the mass of the group's combined enthusiasm becomes apparent, and everyone can tell that something is happening..

Between 1:20 and almost 2 minutes, the crowd, the enthusiasm, and the energy grows quickly, with people actively running to join this moment they're all witnessing. At almost exactly the 2 minute mark, the event blooms, and most people within the camera's view are participating. Almost everyone in sight is completely transfixed by, or involved with this energy, this sequence, begun by One Man. And everyone knows it! At 2:52, a girl asks, "How did he do that? How did he do that?" At 3:01, a man says "That one guy.. started the whole dance party!" And then, the video ends. Total running time: 3:06! I'm still smiling after watching the video three times.

Aside from the linear breakdown, this video is amazing on a number of levels. It's great feel-good entertainment(weirdo starts dance frenzy), it illustrates the 100th monkey effect(true or not, a variant happened here), the viewer is witness to someone At Play, there's a giant conglomeration of Happy, Aquarian Energy, and we all can see a glimpse into the power that one person can have by positively influencing the world and events surrounding them. Please watch the video, and the smiles will come.

Keep on dancin', weird dude. I'm glad you're here, and thanks for the charge.