Family and friends were mourning at 65-yr-old's service—until 4 attendees broke into a funky dance leaving all stunned
When you think of a funeral, you think of grief, mourning, heartbroken feelings and condolences. However, a funeral is also meant to be a celebration of the person's life. While many miss this point, 65-year-old Sandie Wood ensured that this wouldn’t be the case on her service day, per The Daily Mail. The woman passed away after battling tongue cancer and when her family and loved ones gathered at her funeral and mourned the loss, something spectacular and upbeat left them stunned. A video was shared by Manchester World of a group of people seated for the service, silently mourning the woman.
Immediately, a song, “Another One Bites the Dust” by legendary band “The Queen” began to blast throughout the room. At first, the people were confused and upset, with many distasteful expressions for such a song being played at a funeral. What they thought to be a mistake was actually a well-executed performance. From the pews, two women got up and took off their coats to reveal a black costume and began grooving to the music. As the music played, other women joined as part of the staged dance to create a flash mob. They made their way through a stunned crowd and hyped them up to the beat of the music. Eventually, they moved towards the front where they continued to complete an energetic performance.
For people who knew Wood, they knew exactly where this was coming from. The woman had deliberately made arrangements for the flash mob so people wouldn’t be mourning and bidding her a sunken last goodbye. The woman had invested quite a bit into her service long before she passed away and ensured her funeral was a memorable one. A few other extraordinary preparations she made included a horse-drawn hearse and a coffin customized with a lining of her favorite sparkly shoes that was topped with a floral white witch riding a broomstick. Wood’s friend, Sam Ryalls, helped make arrangements and ensure everything went as the late woman wanted.
She noted that Woods knew people would be mourning and didn’t want her final day to be that way. "She was one of a kind, so she left the world how she lived it, being herself. She wanted everyone to remember her funeral but not for a sad reason,” Ryalls added. Getting dancers for the job was no piece of cake. Many refused to dance at a funeral out of all things. However, Flaming Feathers director Claire Phipps obliged. She, too, after directing for 12 years, was stunned to have to make preparations as such for a funeral. “We had to pretend to be part of the guests with people crying and grieving and then get up, whip our coats off and rock out. It was nice to do something different,” the director mentioned.
The woman even planned to arrive late to her own funeral to match her habit of being late wherever she went when she was alive. The idea of Wood “planning her own funeral” around 6 months ahead of her passing seemed to leave many shaken. However, they respected her last wishes and had it just like she wanted. “If you know her, she was a bit of a rebel, so it fit her personality,” Phipps remarked.