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ID Check

ID Check: Super Secret Dance Society

But first Carpenter and fellow OA Lily Morris (civilian occupation: MassArt student) have to teach us official SSDS moves. The first is the “Power Pull,” a fist-in-front-of-your-face downward-pumping exaltation that’s the Society’s secret handshake. (Explains Double Espresso, “You know like when He-Man holds up the sword? It’s like that.” Adds Carpenter: “It’s an inverted ‘Fuck You.’”) There’s the “Panther,” a wiggly pawing motion meant to push you through a crowd. There’s the “Freakout,” a personalized version of losing your shit, and the “Point Jump,” a side-jump done while pointing. We learn all of “Operation Panther Storm,” repeat the moves over and over as Michael Jackson plays over and over, while a digital camera on a tripod films our every move.

After we finish, OAs Morris and Carpenter rewind and replay the tape so we can see our private recital. On the small screen, our collective performance falls somewhere between Flashdance and Night at the Roxbury. But Carpenter is so excited. “This is like Fame times 1000! People are going to be downloading this and crying!” That, they will.

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On the Web:

Super Secret Dance Society: www.supersecretdancesociety.com
Amy Carpenter's "Welcome to Amyville": http://www.amycarpenter.com/
Super Secret Dance Society at MySpace: www.myspace.com/supersecretdancesociety.