Is this the most epic Macarena ever?

There’s a dance fad for every generation. In the 60s it was the Twist, the 70s had the Nutbush and in the 90s it was all about the Macarena, which still manages to rear it’s head at thousands of weddings and retro discos. 

On Wednesday, a throng of people gathered at the Sydney Opera House to try and beat the world record for the largest group ever to perform the Macarena.

Organised by Uniting, the flash dance event aimed to raise awareness about dementia and the importance of movement as we get older. 

The current record is held by Eggbuckland Community College in the UK. To beat them, 2220 participants must perform the Macarena non-stop for 5 minutes.

In response to Uniting’s attempt, students at Eggbuckland Community College said they “hope you have as much success as you had in your recent attempt to win back the Ashes.” Cheeky! 

Someone in Australia is diagnosed with dementia every six minutes, which means that over 1.2 million Australians including loved ones and friends are involved in caring for someone with dementia. By 2025 an estimated 400,000 people will be caring for someone with dementia.

One of the most proven ways to slow the onset of dementia and improve symptoms is through exercise and movement. Exercises increases blood flow, can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and Type II diabetes – all risk factors for dementia.

Did they beat the world record? See how they did above.

Do you remember how to do the Macarena? When was the last time you had a good dance?