The military coup in Myanmar took an absurd turn on Monday as a video spread across social media of a woman dancing in front of armored vehicles.
The aerobics video appears to have been filmed Monday morning as the coup was underway, capturing a surreal scene of a military takeover set to a lively electronic beat. The woman, named Khing Hnin Wai, dances for three minutes, seemingly oblivious to what is unfolding behind her. According to her Facebook profile, she is a physical education teacher employed by the country’s Ministry of Education.
Online, people called the video “the first great art of the 21st century” and an “insane 2021 vibe.”
The video was so unbelievable that viewers began to wonder whether she was dancing in front of a green screen. They pointed to the shadow behind the woman, part of which disappears in the video.
But it’s unlikely the video is fake. A search of the location shows she was dancing on the stairs of a roundabout not far from the Myanmar Parliament, which is why the shadow appears to be cut off. Images from the street posted by Bellingcat researcher Aric Toler also confirm the location.
Later in the day, the PE teacher herself posted other exercise videos filmed at the same location. She did not immediately respond to a request for an interview from BuzzFeed News.
