Pensioners flash mob Mount Maunganui shoppers

What do you get when you mix two dozen pensioners with Justin Timberlake and hoards of puzzled shoppers? A flash mob like no other.

About 30 residents from Bob Owens' Retirement Village descended on Bayfair Shopping Centre's lunch crowd in Mount Maunganui yesterday. The mob danced to Timberlake's Can't Stop the Feeling as shoppers stopped in their tracks to watch the sight while others just joined on in.

Dancers ranged in age from 72 to 91 and had been practising the routine for weeks, Ryman Healthcare's Maryvonne Gray said.

Flash mob members take part in an in-house exercise programme, specially designed to be adapted for all levels of ability and residents. The surprise dance event was an extension of the programme and proved age was just a number, Gray said.