GREENFIELD — More than 100 Kate Bush fans from near and far convened at Energy Park on Sunday to go through the motions of the whimsically choreographed dance from the red dress version of her 1978 music video for “Wuthering Heights.”
July 30, the British singer-songwriter’s birthday, is an international day called The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever. The celebration was started in 2013 in Brighton, United Kingdom, with a goal of breaking the record for the most people dressed as Bush in one place. The event has since expanded across the globe, inspiring celebrations throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and North America.
In preparation for Sunday’s event at Energy Park, attendees learned Bush’s dance from organizer Vanessa Brewster. Brewster called out the moves, including “serve the plates,” “sexy Kate,” “zombie,” “lick your hand” and “thriller hands.”
The event has become so well-known and fans’ devotion to Bush runs so deep that some attendees traveled hours to participate in the dance. Others walked from neighboring streets.
Greenfield resident Kelly Drew dressed as Bush from the white dress version of the “Wuthering Heights” music video, spicing up the sea of red in the crowd. Drew has made it her mission to record the dance every year and be the first to upload it to YouTube. Her video can be viewed at bit.ly/44NBGqa.
Sherborn resident Jada Yvette and Allison Dick from Nashua, New Hampshire drove three hours to get to the event on Sunday.
“We are big Kate Bush fans and this is our third year of going,” Dick said. “We had to come.”
Dick said she fell in love with Kate Bush after working at Starbucks where Bush’s popular song “Running Up That Hill” would often play. At first, she thought the song was outdated and “nonsense.” She then shifted her thoughts and embraced the Bush spirit.
“I realized Kate Bush was dope,” she said.
Yvette said she didn’t like Kate Bush at first, either. She loved strong female vocalists from a young age, but when her father suggested listening to Bush, she was uninterested in heeding a recommendation from a parent. She later pivoted and now makes the road trip annually to join the community of Kate Bush fans.
“I have embraced her whole essence,” Yvette said. “She is free to experiment with her voice and her body. It is beautiful. It is inspiring. I want to be more like her.”
Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed the accounts of Jada Yvette and Allison Dick.