By now you’ve definitely seen it. Not only did Maryland upset Wisconsin, but the students brought back the flash mob in an epic fashion on Wednesday night.

I had a chance to speak with Megan Piluk of Out of the Blue Dance Productions, who coordinated and choreographed these awesome moves, about the work that went into it behind the scenes.

How do you go about coordinating a flash mob?

I take a different approach to each flash dance mob depending on the location, type of flash mob, how many people are involved, etc… Jen Miller and I started the flash mob company Out of the Blue Dance Productions after the huge success of the UMD vs Duke flash mob. Since that flash mob we have choreographed and coordinated all types of flash mobs for barmitzvahs, engagements, non-profits like LLS and CityDance, and other student flash mobs at UMD.

For the University of Maryland flash mob the Athletic Marketing department worked closely with Out of the Blue Dance Productions throughout the whole process. We had a practice with the dance team and cheerleaders a week before the game to teach them the dance. At the game they were all positioned in front of a different student section so that students could follow them. We also had a practice with the drumline before the game to coordinate with them about music and choreography. UMD opened the gates to the UMD vs Wisconsin game early to let the students in before the ticket buyers and we had around 30 minutes to teach the 1:30 dance.

How did this one compare to what we saw in the Duke game?

I don’t think we will ever be able to top the shock value from the flash mob we did at the Duke game, so this year we had to really think about what would be added extra “surprises” during the flash mob. We ended up deciding that a “t-shirt reveal” would be the coolest addition since it was the gold rush game. Also, we brought the UMD drumline on the court as an extra special surprise during it and the crowd went wild.

How much does the flash mob impact the crowd’s excitement at College Park?

I think that it makes the fans feel like the Terps are invincible! You can hear the excitement in the crowd when the t-shirt reveal happens and the student section fades to gold. I think the flash mob definitely got everyone’s adrenaline going!

What was the atmosphere like Wednesday night?

The atmosphere was hype and electrifying! Right when the doors opened for the students they were bolting to get in their seats and starting the UMD chant! From the beginning of the game to the end it was a crazy night in the Xfinity Center! I was so lucky to witness that amazing win! Go Terps 🙂