Watch George Hook do the Harlem Shake

Curmudgeonly broadcaster replicates now infamous Harlem Shake dance for pupils at former school

Is George Hook the new Michael Flatley ?

On a recent visit to his former school, Presentation Brothers College in Cork, the curmudgeonly broadcaster and rugby pundit was persuaded to replicate the now infamous Harlem Shake dance.

Apparently, Hook was there to give sixth-year pupils a pep talk on life and careers.

How he ended shaking his money-maker in a 30-second video posted on YouTube is anyone’s guess.

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In truth, it’s more of a prance than a dance.

Hook later tweeted: “The boys at Pres Cork persuaded me to do a "Harlem Shake" this morning. I wonder have the lads put it on Youtube?”

It’s unclear if that was a suggestion or a direction.

Based on the electro track by New York hip-hop producer Baauer, the mega-viral Harlem Shake is probably the fastest-spreading Internet meme in living memory.

The craze started in Australia in February but has rapidly spread worldwide with everyone from Norwegian soldiers to US athletes uploading versions.

On one day last month, some 4,000 Harlem Shake videos were uploaded to Youtube in the space of a few hours.

Now the video-sharing website is literally packed to the rafters with versions of the dance.

Mining company Barminco recently fired eight miners at an Australian gold mine after they were videotaped doing a version underground.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times