by Hayley Robinson
hrobinson@thekmgroup.co.uk
A DANCE craze video featuring Sittingbourne football academy students is proving to be a big hit.
The footage of the team performing the Harlem Shake was only uploaded on to YouTube on February 20 but within a week of going live it had already been viewed more than 600 times.
The viral phenomenon began last month with five teenagers from Queensland in Australia, who posted a 30-second clip of themselves performing spoof moves to the song Harlem Shake by Baauercorr.
Since then, thousands of others have posted images of themselves trying to replicate it.
The format consists of one person dancing solo while surrounded by people acting normally before cutting to everyone dressed in costume and moving wildly.
In the football academy’s version, which lasts 31 seconds, one player dressed in the team kit and wearing a Keith Lemon mask, swaggers into the dressing room at Sittingbourne Community College while the song plays in the background.
His teammates appear to ignore him but in the next clip they are seen dancing around him dressed in various outfits such as a mankini, as sported by Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat, Superwoman, a banana, Where’s Wally and various others.
Charles Pratt, who features in the video dressed in a hat and tutu, said: “I’m shocked by how many people have viewed it considering it’s just a little thing from Sittingbourne.
“It was just after the trials were held by the academy that week.
“We all decided to do it.
“Everyone was just told to bring something along to wear on the day and Darren Collins [director of the football academy[ filmed it on his mobile.”

n To view the video, visit www.youtube.com and search for Harlem Shake (SYFA Version)