Video: Allen senior citizens do rowdy “Harlem Shake” featuring Burton Gilliam

by Sarah Blaskovich

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It made the day of at least one sweet grandma.

ALLEN — We thought the "Harlem Shake" had run its course -- at least in Dallas-Fort Worth. We were wrong.

The Allen Senior Recreation Center got in on the fun with a video that begins with a hip-thrusting Burton Gilliam, actor in Blazing Saddles who lives in Allen. As the "Harlem Shake" goes, the seniors appeared not to notice Gilliam's dance moves as they played Skip-Bo and knitted. And then all heck broke loose: beach balls a'flyin', snowman shimmying, a crowned lady blows a noisemaker at the floor, a bearded guy gets stuck inside a sleeping bag...

This is officially our favorite "Harlem Shake."

Scroll below the video to read a heartwarming story about how it brightened the day of an 88-year-old woman with dementia.

PegNews: Whoa. What? Why? [That's a paraphrase.]

Mark Kaufmann, executive producer of Allen City Television: I see the college campuses and the sports teams [doing the "Harlem Shake"]. I never saw anything with seniors, essentially. Our senior center is so active.

Where’d all the costumes come from?

I knew [the senior center] had all kinds of things from their different events. [The supervisor] said they decorate to the excess. ... We wanted to showcase the seniors so they could wear whatever they want.

Did the seniors get into it?

They were totally into it, and when we were done, they wanted to know if we were going to do it again.

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The video is more than just a funny Internet blip, however. Denise Fenner, recreation specialist for the city of Allen whose 88-year-old mother visits the senior center, said it was a very special afternoon.

"My little 88 year old mother (with dementia) was at a table and she couldn’t get up. So, I had her swirling a daisy fly swatter -- and she actually was seen," Fenner wrote in an email. "This is a great memory for us. ... She had so much fun and has really been talking about it."

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