Kevin Bacon Triggers Nostalgia With Throwback ‘Footloose’ Dance

Dec 25, 2023

Kevin Bacon is an American actor who is best known for the musical film "Footloose." He also starred in "JFK," "A Few Good Men" and "Apollo 13," among many other popular films. One of Bacon’s strengths is his range, which allows him to excel in many different genres. Some comedies he is remembered for include "National Lampoon's Animal House," "Tremors" and "Crazy Stupid Love." The star succeeded on television as well with his role in "The Following." 

The actor has won a number of awards, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Bacon’s has also been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and an Academy Award. He received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. 

Of course, there’s also the well-known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which is premised on the idea that you can pick any Hollywood actor or actress, and they will be connected to Bacon by six degrees of separation at the most. The game is a testament to Bacon’s prolific career and his wide-ranging acting capabilities that have seen him in a variety of roles, from comedies like “Beauty Shop” to slasher films like “Friday the 13th.”

Despite his expansive filmography, Bacon is most widely known for his role in “Footloose,” which has become essentially part of American pop culture.

In November 2023, when the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) finally announced the conclusion of their historic strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), Bacon famously recreated a dance routine that he was famously known for decades. Read on to learn more about Bacon and what he did in celebration of the strike ending.

Like many actors who make it in showbusiness, Bacon knew that he loved the spotlight from a young age, as Biography.com details. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Ruth Hilda Holmes, a social activist, and Edmund Bacon, an architect, Bacon enrolled in a performing arts school when he was a young boy. It didn’t take long for him to continue his acting education at Manning Street Actor's Theatre in Philadelphia and New York City’s Circle in the Square Theatre School.

But Bacon’s dedication didn’t lead to instant fame or fortune. Instead, the actor flew under the radar, starring in “National Lampoon’s Animal House” for his debut performance, along with “Friday the 13th” and “Only When I Laugh” in the early 1980s. It wasn’t until “Diner,” a so-called bromantic comedy that his career began to take off. The influential New Yorker critic Pauline Kael said that the film “features some of the best young actors in the country,” which was no doubt a reference to Bacon, at least in part. 

Following “Diner’s” success, Bacon scored his career-defining role in “Footloose”. Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, it quickly became an ‘80s classic, even inspiring a remake in 2011. From then on, Bacon had no problem securing some of Hollywood’s most highly coveted roles in movies like “A Few Good Men” and “Apollo 13.”

Lately, however, Bacon has also done work in the world of TV, an industry that the actor was previously reluctant to enter.  

“Before, my managers knew never to mention a TV series to me, because they knew how furious that would make me,” Bacon told The Guardian in 2017. 

In November 2023, Bacon shared a celebratory post on Instagram. At 65, Bacon can still pump out the same charisma and appeal that he had radiated when he was playing his breakout role in “Footloose” as Ren McCormack in 1984. 

Bacon danced happily, busting his iconic dance moves in his barn, 39 years since the movie became the cult classic that it is right now. 

The nostalgic video was posted as a celebration of the end of the historic SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood. Hollywood actors, including writers, announced a strike in June 2023, causing the whole entertainment industry to halt. The SAG-AFTRA implemented rules for its member actors, which Bacon is a part of, to avoid talking about past and upcoming film and television projects at the time. 

On Nov. 8, 2023, Variety reported that the SAG-AFTRA strike had been lifted, marking a renewal of the contract between the AMPTP and the guild. Many celebrities at the time celebrated the end of the work stoppage and the resumption of various productions – Bacon celebrated it with a nostalgic dance. 

As expected, many fans appreciated the video. Over on the comments section on Instagram, fans were in disbelief that Bacon still got the moves. 

“This is amazing to watch in 2023, you've still got it,” a fan wrote. 

“Such an incredible dancer. We got a Footloose, everybody! That’s so rare! Yay!” another shared. 

“Nice work! Definitely worth this victory dance. Congratulations to everyone in SAG for their tenacity and victory, well deserved!” a fan said. 

“Love you Kevin..i grew up with all your movies and moves! You still got it today!” a fourth fan shared.

Are you a fan of Kevin Bacon? What can you say about his dance moves? Do you think he's still got it? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Kevin Bacon fans out there!