Valedictorian Leads 2015 Graduating Class In ‘Shake It Off’ Flash Mob, Watch Viral Video

Valedictorian Colin Yost surprised all those attending the Portsmouth High School graduation by leading his 230 classmates in a “Shake It Off” flash mob.

The Taylor Swift song is one of the most popular with youngsters this summer, and so the class of 2015 at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, decided to use it for their surprising number. Nobody was expecting the group of students to erupt in dance after Yost finished his speech, but that’s exactly what happened.

Now, Yost is an Internet sensation, and the video has been viewed almost 700,000 times on YouTube and it’s no wonder — it shows a lot of spirit. Most graduations are full of sometimes long speeches that those attending soon forget, however, this class left a lasting impression.

It was obvious that when the Valedictorian ended his speech with the words “shake it off,” it was a clue for his classmates to start the routine they had prepared for their friends and family. Taylor Swift’s words started coming through the PA and the students began making coordinated arm movements and getting up one group at a time.

Yost shimmies off the stage to join the rest of his class, after encouraging them to embrace their inner nerd in his Commencement speech. Speaking with MTV, the Valedictorian said this was something he’s always wanted to do.

“I’ve always wanted to do a flash mob and I thought graduation would be the perfect place because our class is very cohesive and doesn’t really have a lot of cliques.

As we practiced, the energy was just building and everyone was feeling how great it was to work together and send this positive message.”

Colin — who is an assistant in a cardiovascular operating room at a Portsmouth hospital — said that the school administrators allowed his class to use five scheduled rehearsals to fine tune their cute choreography. The Valedictorian is an aspiring heart surgeon and wanted to leave a lasting impression when he graduated.

“I was listening to ‘Shake It Off’ in the car and I thought that would be great for a flash mob so I talked to a few of my friends about making it happen.” One of his friends — who is a stage manager — took care of the music, while two others with dance experience helped choreograph the whole thing, Yost said.

A tutorial video of the choreography was sent privately to all those graduating in order for them to learn the moves. It is safe to say the Valedictorian was successful with his version of “Shake It Off.”

[Image via YouTube]