200 shoppers break out In song at Portland mall

Portland, Oregon Saturday, December 19, 2009 Portland Improv, a social experiment and performing arts group known to push the limits on the social norm, hosted their latest event, dubbed, Winter Warm Up, at the Pioneer Place Mall at 1 PM. At 1PM, 10 shoppers (actual professional singers) started the event out, beginning the song Let it snow. Hundreds of additional shoppers (both amateur and professional singers) then joined in. After that everyone sang Jingle Bells, then simply dissipated into the rest of the crowd, leaving no explanation. KGW (Channel 8) "Winter Warm Up" news coverage: facebook.com/video/video.php?v=240925730902&ref=mf Portland Improv is a collective mainly comprised of college students who like to provoke joy and create scenes in public places. Winter Warm Up was Portland Improvs seventh event in Portland, the most famous of which being the Portland Freeze. The group coordinated over 1,500 participants and had them all strike a pose and hold it for 5 minutes within the Pioneer Courthouse Square to literally freeze time. Recently, the Portland Freeze became an annual event and was replicated again alongside the Portland Rose Festival inside their Waterfront Village with even greater surprise and mayhem among bystanders (1,000 participants). Portland Improv group page: facebook.com/group.php?gid=32201544195&ref=ts Join! Portland Improv Josh Enobakhare (josh@pdximprov) Corbin Wescott (corbin@pdximprov.com) Tiffany Gilly (tiffany@pdximprov.com)