Watch OAP makeover of Taylor Swift's Shake it Off video
Residents of New Zealand retirement village become internet sensation with their version of the hit song

Residents of the Julia Wallace Retirement Village in New Zealand have become the latest internet sensation after their shot-for-shot video recreation of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off music video went viral.
The 50 residents of the village spent a week learning the words and moves and their efforts have been rewarded with upwards of 50,000 views online.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"97912","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
"Just because we’re in a retirement village doesn’t mean we can't have fun," said 72-year-old Margaret Gregory, who was cast as Swift in the video.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We still have life and energy, and sometimes I feel I do more now than when I was younger because I have more time."
The footage mimics the original Shake It Off video, including costumes handcrafted by a village resident, dance moves and props.
Julia Wallace sales advertiser Chrissy Hoys told Stuff magazine it was great to see the residents so enthusiastic about the project.
She added that the perception of a rest home being a place where people sat in chairs all day long was outdated and by creating videos like these, which show pensioners being active and having fun, they were challenging the misconceptions.
The group also released a making-of video which shows some behind-the-scenes cuts as well as out-takes.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"97910","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
The Swift video is not the first attention-grabbing outing for the residents of Julia Wallace, notes The Guardian.
They produced a nude calendar to raise funds for the Red Cross in 2015 while the year before, their sister village in Christchurch did a flash mob rendition of Pharrell Williams’s Happy at the local shopping centre.
Tags: Taylor Swift, New Zealand
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why some people remember dreams and others don't
Under The Radar Age, attitude and weather all play a part in dream recall
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Hotel seal
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
New FBI Director Kash Patel could profit heavily from foreign interests
The Explainer Patel holds more than $1 million in Chinese fashion company Shein
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The best new music of 2024 by genre
The Week Recommends Outstanding albums, from pop to electro and classical
By The Week UK Published
-
10 concert tours to see this winter
The Week Recommends Keep warm traveling the United States — and the world — to see these concerts
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
This winter heed the call of these 7 spots for prime whale watching
The Week Recommends Make a splash in Maui, Mexico and Sri Lanka
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Take advantage of sublime October weather at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Rain, snow and sleet will absolutely not be keeping you from your destination
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift ties Beyoncé record at MTV awards
Speed Read The pop star's acceptance speeches encouraged fans to register to vote and commemorated the victims of 9/11
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The world's best astrotourism adventures
The Week Recommends From the depths of the Namib Desert to Finnish Lapland, these remote destinations are ideal for stargazing
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Taylor Swift shows canceled over attack threat
Speed Read Three upcoming concerts in Vienna were called off due to an apparent terrorist plot targeting large-scale events
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published