Outside, it's a cold winter's day. Inside a large shopping center, people are hanging around. But then, without warning, a pop song starts to play loudly. A teenager boy walks lazily to the center of the open space, and dances crazily to the music. He's joined by two of his friends, then some of the old people. In a few seconds，more than sixty people are dancing to the music—all in time and all in step. At first, onlookers(旁观者)are puzzeled, and then they start smiling and clapping. They now know what they're seeing: a flash mob(快闪).
According to Wikipedia, the term "flash mob" was created by Bill Wasik, an editor at Harper's Magazine, in 2003. In a year, the phrase had entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Since then, hundreds—possibly thousands—of flash mobs have been performed around the world, in almost every kind of public space imaginable!
Each flash mob has its own style，but most flash mobs follow a similar formula(方案). Often, the organizers search for willing participants(参与者)using social media. Instructions and dance moves are given through the Internet. There are usually several rehearsals(排练)before the big day.
While it's happening, a few lucky passers-by watch it live. Most people who watch it, however, will see it later online. Some of the most popular flash mobs on YouTube have been watched more than 10 million times. A famous example is MP3 Experiment Eight, a flash mob that took place in New York City in July 2011 with over 3,500 participants. This event was different from normal flash mobs in that much of it was completely silent—and there were no rehearsals.
Flash mobs provide the participants, onlookers and online viewers with a lot of enjoyment and pleasure. For this reason alone, they're a modern, popular art form that should be celebrated.
