By Crystal Chung @crystalkchung
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Up to 1,500 convicts in the maximum security jail practice for up to four hours a day to perfect their routines to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller' and pop favourite 'Gangnam Style'.
They then perform for the public on the last Saturday of every month at the Cebu City Provincial Detention & Rehabilitation Centre in the Philippines - and now their videos have went viral on YouTube.
The series of images were taken by photographer, Bruce Liron on the 30th January 2016.
The 56-year-old said: “The prisoners - otherwise known as the ‘Dancing Inmates’ - have previously performed a rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ which gained millions of views on YouTube. Other popular routines include Medleys by Queen and Gangnam Style.
“The dance routines are open to the general public to view and they can even join in and dance with them at the conclusion of their performance.”
The program was introduced as part of the inmates' daily exercise and rehabilitation.
And now the prison it’s own choreographer to teach the routines, with some of the more talent inmates being chosen for the more sophisticated steps.
Bruce said: “It's somewhat of a surreal experience considering this is a maximum security prison to which the public have access and it is certainly the only prison I know of where this occurs.
“Being so close to them it did make me wonder what type of offences the inmates had committed.
“During the end of the performance the public are given the opportunity of entering the prison yard to mingle with the inmates and dance to a routine with them.
“It all seemed quite bizarre but clearly the inmates seemed to enjoy the interaction and most certainly the visiting public did.”