Today’s Video: Thriller, Chilean style

With Halloween less than a week away, we will feature numerous videos with themes related to Halloween as well as the Day of the Dead.

For almost six months student-led protesters in Chile have urged reforms to the country's education system. Tensions persist between protest leaders such as the increasingly popular Camila Vallejo and senior officials including President Sebastian Pinera. Furthermore, the demonstrations have occasionally been violent with clashes between some marchers and police.

Last June approximately 3000 protesters participated in a unique protest in front of the presidential palace to call attention to their cause. The banners and insignias were gone and replaced with zombie costumes and choreographed dancing. Their "Thriller" protest seen in the video below made headlines worldwide and showed that the demonstrators were unified in their aims.

Video Source - YouTube user FalconSWAT

Online Sources - noticias123.cl, BBC News, Huffington Post

Arte Para La Gente: Adios Sonia

One of Colombia’s icons of dance, Sonia Osorio, passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

In 1960 she created the Colombian Ballet, a dance troupe that she helped lead in promoting Colombia’s traditional arts worldwide. Last year she received one of Colombia’s highest civilian awards, the Order of Boyacá, in recognition of her tireless efforts over the past six decades.

As mentioned in Colombia Reports:

While Osorio also worked as a renowned designer and journalist, it was through the art of dance that she devotedly portrayed Colombia's ancestral roots mixed with its contemporary culture. This work was most evident in the 30 years of input she did for folkloric dances at the famous Barranquilla Carnival.

Osorio’s son, Rodrigo Obregon, told the local press that his mother’s legacy is one that “cannot be allowed to die.” Hopefully his words will ring true for many years to come.

Below is a brief clip of the Colombian Ballet performing the joropo, a form of folkloric dance not only popular in Colombia but also in neighboring Venezuela:

Video Source - YouTube
Online Sources- El Tiempo, Radio Caracol, Colombia Reports

Today’s Video: Stomping ants

The meaning of the post's title becomes known once you see the video below. Blog club fonograma described the video as such:

This has to be one of the coolest, most legitimate visual offerings we’ve seen this year. Minimal::ty, an up and coming production channel making some hot refreshing videos and graphics. The project decided to compliment Los Macuanos by crafting an awesome unofficial video for their hit “La Burrita.” The original footage of these hilarious dancers went viral a couple of months ago, but they’re on a whole new level dancing to El Ruidoson. Expect new material from Los Macuanos in the upcoming months.

Take a look for yourself:

Online Sources - club fonograma, YouTube

Japanese pair wins world tango title

Some stories speak for themselves:

A Japanese married couple has danced to victory in Buenos Aires, knocking the reigning Argentines out of the top spot at the World Tango Championships.

Hiroshi and Kyoko Yamao placed first in the traditional Tango Salon category of the seventh edition of the international competition at Luna Park stadium this weekend.

After earning the highest point score during Friday's semifinal, the couple was praised by the jury for the "dexterity and feeling" of their final performance Saturday evening.

Judges gave second-place honors to a pair from Colombia followed by the host Argentines in third.

Image- AP ("Hiroshi Yamao, right, and Kyoko Yamao, from Japan celebrate winning the Salon category of the 7th Tango Dance World Chamopionship, in Buenos Aires, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009.")
Online Sources- CBC, AFP