Atlanta Progressive News

(APN) ATLANTA — For the last four weeks, the music video for a new dance called the MARTA Slide has been going viral on Youtube.  The MARTA Slide is now showing on the MARTA  website as well as, without sound, on MARTA trains.

The video is available on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9cFVdWQiaw

The video shows as Star, the mascot for the Atlanta Dream, a WNBA women’s basketball team, teaches MARTA riders various safety tips.  

At several points in the video, Star and an Atlanta Dream cheerleader join a group of racially diverse and age-diverse MARTA riders, to perform the MARTA Slide.

In an interview with Atlanta Progressive News, Rod Hembree, Director of Quality Assurance, and Jennifer Jinadu-Wright, MARTA Marketing Director, discussed the importance of the new video, which highlights safety concerns in a fun, musical way.

“The video talks about important safety concerns which help the safety of everyone, but children  normally are the ones that are at a higher risk, which is why we wanted to create something in a video format that children could also relate to,” Hembree said.

As of this publication, the video has over 33,000 views on Youtube.

“We also teach the dance at customer appreciation events and the MARTA Slide has been in at least two events.  Future events will be listed on the MARTA website.  We have gotten great response and the MARTA Slide is gaining popularity,” Jinadu-Wright said.

“The slide was created in about three weeks,” Hembree said.

“Eighteen year-old William Taylor, III, wrote the original score and composition.  Taylor was given the basic safety tips and asked to write the MARTA Slide.  Diamond Cheri is the Vocal Artist.  Dancers and actors were MARTA employees and customers, along with [Star] and the Shooting Stars Dancer,” Hembree said.

The Dancer’s name was not available.  Hembree said the MARTA Slide was made up in one day.  Wright encourages everyone to watch the video.

The lyrics of the MARTA Slide are as follows:

(Chorus x2)
Look look look
Before taking a step
Slide to the right
Then slide to the left
Back it up back it up
So we can make room
Hold on tight
Cause we’ll be moving soon

(Verse 1)
Step one
The bus is coming so don’t stand at the curb
You staying in the shelter is where we’d prefer
you be
So right now take a few steps back with me
To give you and the curb another couple feet

Step two
You have to look, look before crossing
Make sure the bus is gone before walking
In the back or the front that is a no no
So everybody freeze and let the bus go

Step three
Once the bus has pulled off it’s gone
We can’t stop so please don’t run along
Side of us
Because that’s not safe
And we want everyone to have a nice day

Step four
So now that we are all in here
One last thing
Please keep the aisles clear

(Chorus x2)

(Verse 2)
This is trains
Here we go again
New rules
Kind of different

Step five
On the way to the train we walk it out
Never run
That’s not what we’re about

Step six
Stand behind the grey line
Back it up back it up
For me one more time

Step seven
Never ever enter on the track
Because you only have one life
Can’t get that back

Step eight
Please once on board
Refrain from leaning on the doors

Step nine
Always stand to the right on escalators

Step ten
Never stop a closing elevator

Eleven is all about your child and you
Holding hands on escalators is what you should do

(Chorus repeat.)

Do the MARTA Slide, do the MARTA Sli-i-ide
Do the MARTA Slide for me one last time
To the left, to the right, one more time
Do the MARTA Slide.

(END/2012)