TSA security agents smiling, singing holiday carols and breaking into dance?

No, it’s not an urban legend.

Travelers passing through Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday were surprised, stunned and entertained by the TSA Choir, a group of 17 singers and musicians, all of them TSA employees, who broke into song in the international terminal, according to USA Today. 

Ernie Perez, a security supervisor and tenor, led the choir in a Ray Charles-like rendition of "Georgia on My Mind" and "Feliz Navidad."

They also performed an eight-minute dance routine on the floor of the terminal, even enticing some passengers to dance along to recorded songs such as "Surfin’ USA," "Rock Around the Clock," and "Staying Alive."

"We’ve been taking a lot of heat for what we do at TSA," Perez said, referring to the aggressive pat-downs and use of body scanners on passengers. "We wanted to put a positive face on TSA." 

The TSA choir is one of the two; the other is at the airport in Austin, Texas.

The groups have performed since 2003 and they serenade passengers with patriotic music on Veterans Day, Memorial Day and other occasions.

-- Gay Nagle Myers