Seth Godin blogged about this video last June.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06/guy-3.html

This is a stretch. The weirdo dancer is clearly being mocked.

in the beginning, it could be a movement of him being mocked, though i doubt every one of those people is mocking him. regardless, it doesn’t matter, since it’s still a movement. the point is that the first person to follow (whether sincerely or mockingly) had the bravery to also stand out (and risk being mocked), and then the third raised it to a level of a group activity. then others could join in and care a lot less whether they were mocking or being mocked or just dancing.

First time I’ve seen this. And as a self-professed “born follower” I feel validated and inspired.

Is anyone else a little frightened by this (and I’m not referring to the dancing)?

I wrote a story around this video a while back as well, I think Seth Godin struck the idea in my head but as I mentioned in the entry, I totally forgot where I saw it first.

I really do think this is an amazing depiction of what someone starting out something truly unique and different goes through. Read my entry here. http://www.tawheedkader.com/2009/07/what-it-feels-like-to-be-an-entrepreneur/

This was filmed at a music festival here in New Zealand a few years ago.

Turns out it was all put together by ad agency.

ie. Relgion

A great point made in 3 minutes and motivational for those that need it. He does point out the roles of leader, first evangelists and followers nicely. But Derek Sivers is making this seem far simpler than it is.

A lone dancer at a music festival is one thing. In the ‘real world’ there are 5 different guys all trying to attract the same attention and create their little movement of the day.

@Cato: This was filmed at the Sasquatch festival in May of 2009. The Sasquatch festival occurs in Washington at the Gorge in the United States.

@Cato. This was at the Sasquatch Festival last year in Washington, USA, not New Zealand. I watched this happen. (That is the Columbia River behind him.)

One of the key elements that helped this occur was the intoxication levels of the participants.

I’ve read all the comments so far and I’m fascinated by the silly issue of where this was filmed. Who cares? It isn’t as if the location is something that should instill pride of ownership. I am equally fascinated by the comments about the leader. Unless I missed the point the narrator is trying to make, he is more concerned with the importance of early followers and the model they represent. The mindset of dancers two and three are the most interesting.

I actually did something like this about 25 years ago.

I was at a high school championship basketball game. After the game ended, about two minutes after the final buzzer and the excitement was starting to wane, I started - by myself - a “We Are Number One!” cheer.

I turned to the people around me and cheered. They started to cheer. Within 30 seconds, half of the entire gym (the winning half, obviously) was cheering loudly.

It was amazing. I had started it, all on my own. It was magical, and something I’ll not forget. It was really cool.

Brilliant :)

Ah, my mistake.

There was a similar thing happen here.

It’s great, indeed. For me, even if the second is really important, the 3/4 and 5/6/7, comming in group are the key. Also, what the story doesn’t tell is that shirtless guy was dancing alone for quite some time before : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbI0QOI6_-4 Also, browse the related videos, there are some other funny dancers. Story doesn’t tell if they started a movment.

contagion!

This is theft. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06/guy-3.html

Each time I’ve done this kind of things, nobody joined me. I must do something wrong.

That was cool, it would be fun to put up Alec Baldwin’s , Glen Gary Glenn Ross speech next to it as a contrast in leadership

Another example – “Little Boy Steals The Show”:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleytalong/show-stealer-hpz/