Forty years after dancing his way into everyone’s hearts,Kevin Baconmade a widely celebrated return to Payson High School, the very school in Utah that became the location for his iconic 1984 movie,Footloose.
“It’s been 40 years. I mean, that just blows my mind. Things look a little different around here. I’d say the thing that looks the most different is me,” Kevin said as he addressed the crowd at the school.
Kevin Bacon returned to Utah’s Payson High School, the location for his iconic 1984 movie,Footloose
Image credits:ABC4 Utah
Prior to Kevin’s visit, the students had launched a full-fledged social media campaign dubbed #BacontoPayson and called for the actor to visit their high school before its scheduled demolition at the end of the school year. Students recreated movie scenes and choreographed videos to get Kevin’s attention.
Even Utah Gov. Spencer Cox joined in on the campaign and asked the actor in November to join the celebrations, marking the 40thyear of Footloose’s release.
In a video recorded last November, the Utah governorsaid, “We are so excited that next year will be 40 years of Footloose. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, I was eight when it came out and we loved it – Utah has never been the same.”
“It’s been a long time, it’s been 40 years…that just blows my mind,” he told the cheering crowd at the school
The campaign eventually did reach the actor, whoannounced last monthto a gym full of students that he would be attending their final prom.
The actor visited the high school on Saturday, April 20, as part of his work with his foundation,SixDegrees.org, which “supports impactful initiatives to sustain and enrich local communities,” according to their website.
“Here we are at this beautiful, beautiful spot on this beautiful, beautiful day,” Kevintoldthe cheering crowd at the school.
The actor visited the school after the students spearheaded the #BacontoPayson social media campaign to get his attention
“It’s been a long time, it’s been 40 years…that just blows my mind,” he said.
“You were all just tireless, unrelenting in your desire to have me return,” he went on to say. “I think it’s great to see that kind of commitment to anything. I also think that it’s amazing, the power that this movie has had to just kind of bring people together and connect on the basic ideas that are behind the movie.”
It was a nostalgic moment forFootloosefans to see Kevin Bacon within the walls of the high school
Kevin had leaped to stardom with the cult classic movieFootloose, in which he played the role of a teenager who moves to a small town and works to overturn a ban ondancing. Many of the scenes from the movie were filmed right within the walls of Payson High School, and the students have embraced the rich cinematic heritage that is part of their school.
“This is everything. Everybody in the school knows that it’s theFootlooseschool, and everybody in Payson knows that we areFootloosePayson,” junior Jake Steele toldPeople.
The cult classicFootloosesteered Kevin Bacon to stardom as he danced his way into the audience’s hearts
Image credits:IMDB
“Everything and anything this year has been Kevin Bacon andFootloose. I’ve been practicing myFootloose[dance] to get it down [for prom],” added the high school student.
Kelli Davis, a local resident, visited the school with her 10-year-old daughter to see Kevin and said: “Footlooseis nostalgic for me. I’ve been watching it my whole life.”
“How thoughtful of you Kevin,” fans said after the actor visited the high school before its demolition
Rugilė Žemaitytė
Neilas Šurkus
Linas Simonaitis
Entertainment
