Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — At precisely 2:35 in the afternoon on Sunday, April 17th, a flash mob broke out at Los Arcos Amphitheater on Puerto Vallarta’s famed Malecón to kick off Easter festivities.

Over 600 people participated in the shadow of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, one of the most endearing of all Puerto Vallarta’s landmarks, and pleasingly shocked hundreds of tourists taking their afternoon stroll.

The carefully orchestrated dance, designed to appear spontaneous, was choreographed by Kimberly LaRue, co-owner/director of the Bridge for Dance Studios in New York City. The volunteer instructor partnered with event organizers to draw attention that Puerto Vallarta is safe and to encourage new vacationers to visit the beautiful Mexican Riviera Port and to welcome back past travelers.

Despite the economic downturn in the U.S. and Canada as well as recent negative media attention, Mexico reported a 15% increase in visitors this season over the previous year, spurred by a strong dollar against the Mexican peso and a wave of tourists who wanted to stay close to home. 22 million foreigners visited Mexico last year, according to the Mexico Tourism Board, making tourism a $13 billion industry and one of Mexico’s highest revenue stream.

Organizers and sponsors of the successful event included Tim Longpré, Gary Green, Donna Davies, Kim LaRue, Antonia Lavender, Ray Dion, Josef Kandoll, Diva Divine, Nacho Daddy, Collage Club, Ballet Xiutla, Paradise Community Center, Sal Fuentes, Bill Brooks, Cindy Ramirez, Margaret Souder and the H. Ayuntamiento de Puerto Vallarta.