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Students participate in Oliver dance promo
About 100 students from Marshall University, MCTC and the Cabell Midland High School Show Choir participated in a promotional dance shoot, held Wednesday afternoon in front of the Memorial Student Center. It was filmed for the untitled reality TV show starring British chef Jamie Oliver.
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HUNTINGTON -- About 100 students from Marshall University, MCTC and the Cabell Midland High School Show Choir participated in a promotional dance shoot, held Wednesday afternoon in front of the Memorial Student Center.
The event, also known as a flash mob, was filmed for a healthy eating reality television show that stars British chef Jamie Oliver. "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" is scheduled to debut on ABC in February.
Oliver took part in the dance routine, as one of about dozen cooks making beef stir fry in the three and one-half minute song.
"The whole point of this is to let all you at Marshall know food is fun," Oliver said at the end of the song. "Really and truly, this was fun."
And, as the students huddled around the fountain, he chanted "We are," with the crowd responding "Marshall."
The Marshall student cooperation started a few weeks ago during a filmed conversation with student body president Sean Hornbuckle. Hornbuckle said Oliver asked him what would be the best way to get students involved and to understand the importance of eating healthy.
"We're learning how to eat healthy," Hornbuckle said. "And we get to teach our country to eat healthy. The moral of the story (of the song and dance) is to cook a healthy meal in a short amount of time."
While Hornbuckle worked with Oliver and the producers on participation, it was graduate assistant for the Center for African American Students' Programs Ronald Jones who helped recruit students.
Jones, who also danced in the routine, said it was important for the Marshall family to get involved. Not only will it put Marshall's name into the national and international spotlight, but the influence it already has could help with Oliver's mission.
"And it's fun," Jones said.
Students from Cabell Midland's show choir also were invited to be a part of the filming. Senior Sarah Hayes said the choreographer came to their class Monday and showed them their dishrag routine.
"It's good publicity and an awesome thing to get us involved," Hayes said. "It's an honor to be asked and a great opportunity for us to be on TV."
There also were 10 dancers from Elite Performance Academy in Huntington.
Filming for the television show, set to air in the spring, is expected to finish Nov. 21.
Oliver said in a late-September interview that he would like to thank Huntington by hosting a large festival called "Foodstock" sometime in late November. The festival would include live music, food vendors from West Virginia and healthy-cooking demonstrations, among other things.
Leah Edwards, Marshall's media communication specialist, said Oliver's crew had originally asked about having some sort of food festival at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
"Initially we talked with the Jamie Oliver crew about trying to merge one of their events with a football game, but in reality, our schedule and their timeline just didn't match up," Edwards said. "We're in the preliminary stages of trying to work on another event connected to athletics, but the specific details haven't been confirmed."
The celebrity chef has been filming in Huntington for the past few months for an unscripted, six-episode series that is tentatively set to debut in February on ABC.
