ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Charisse Scott (right) was one of about 100 people who danced to "Thriller" by Michael Jackson on Saturday in Roanoke.

About 100 people filled an outdoor area of the Roanoke Civic Center on Saturday night to ring in Halloween -- King of Pop style.

"I was a big fan of Michael Jackson, so it definitely attracted me," said Frank Arnold of Roanoke.

In an event orchestrated by event marketing company Sponsor Hounds, participants were invited to come out and show off their moves by performing Jackson's "Thriller" dance simultaneously.

Though a big fan of Jackson's, Arnold chose to dress as another music icon for the "Thriller" dance-off. He donned an Elvis getup complete with the signature hair and dark shades.

"I was thinking when I came up with it that it'd be the King of Rock and Roll dancing like the King of Pop," he said.

Elliot Broyles of Sponsor Hounds said he knew when Jackson died that there would be no shortage of people in the Roanoke Valley who would want to participate.

He said those who participated went through six weeks of lessons and three weeks of rehearsals to get their moves down for the event.

The "Thriller" dance served as a precursor to Saturday's Halloween Blast, which took place inside the civic center.

Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson cover band, was booked to perform at the party. Broyles said they were almost unavailable but canceled a gig at the Playboy mansion at the last minute because it wasn't a paid show.

Though the costumes included staples such as zombies, schoolgirls and doctors, many were inspired by the legend himself.

"It wasn't a hard decision," said Charisse Scott, who dressed like Jackson.

"I am a crazy Michael Jackson fan; people think I'm insane," Scott said.

Broyles had the dancers take their positions in a fenced-off area, counting down how much time was left until he would play the song. At 7 p.m. on the dot, the spirit of Michael Jackson was alive.

The sound of creaking and werewolves filled the air, until the beat picked up, and some 100 costumed bodies previously sprawled on the concrete slowly rose and danced in unison -- complete with neck jerks and mummy-like motions.

When it was all said and done, the dancers were all smiles and cheer, and most stuck around for the party.

"I messed up a few times, but it was a lot of fun," Michael Smoot said.

Broyles said he was excited how the dance turned out and plans to do it again next year. He said this year a lot of people wished they would have heard about the "Thriller" dance earlier, because they would have participated in the lessons. Next year, he said, he hopes to get the word out so that even more people can come out and have a good time.

"Everything looked great, and a whole lot of people worked hard on it," he said.