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Disco jailbirds an instant hit
A video of Filipino prisoners dancing to hits like Michael Jackson's Thriller has become an instant worldwide hit.
The video shot in a provincial jail on the central Philippine island of Cebu show some of the 1600 inmates dancing to the Jackson classic and has attracted more than 1.9 million views on YouTube.
The website also shows routines for Queen's hit, Radio Gaga, and music from the hit move Sister Act, reports News.com.au
The success of the videos, which see dozens of orange-suited men lined up in neat rows, dancing in synchronised fashion, has surprised the men who started the practice as a form of physical exercise.
The dancing, held twice daily in jail, was the brainchild of special security consultant Byron Garcia.
He said they began the dancing routines last year after he noticed that very few of the 1600 prisoners were taking part in the calisthenics and push-ups the jail was offering for their exercise.
Mr Garcia was also looking for something to instill discipline in the prisoners who had been jailed for crimes ranging from murder to drug trafficking.
"I thought it would be easier to communicate with them using music," said Mr Garcia.
"When they perfected the marching, we started the more difficult routines,even hiring a choreographer for them," he said.
The Thriller dance that had become so popular actually took a month to perfect, said choreographer Vince Rosales.
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