Suncoast Sand Witches take flight with Halloween dances

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A German viral video that took the internet by storm four years ago has brewed an annual Halloween tradition along the Suncoast.The Suncoast Sand Witches, a performance art dance troupe, is celebrating its fourth year entertaining crowds across Southwest Florida in full witch regalia. On Thursday, members of the coven took time to teach Suncoast View reporter some of their signature choreography, including the famous zombie shuffle from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”The group’s origins trace back roughly four-and-a-half years to a viral YouTube video featuring the Wolfshäger Hexenbrut, a German dance troupe that performed an energetic broom dance to German pop artist Peter Fox’s song “Schüttel deinen Speck” (“Shake Your Bacon”). The routine sparked a nationwide trend, inspiring hundreds of women across the United States to grab broomsticks, don pointed hats, and recreate the performance for Halloween.Locally, the Suncoast Sand Witches quickly expanded beyond thei