1. Kathleen Mack Joshua Laucius Marquise Goods Kerri Russo
Footloose
Kathleen Mack
Joshua Laucius
Marquise Goods
Kerri Russo

2. Characters “Ren” : Kevin Bacon “Willard” : Christopher Penn
“Ariel” : Lori Singer
“Reverend Shaw Moore” : John Lithgow
Director : Herbert Ross

3. Synopsis
Classic tale of teen rebellion with dance choreography. A teenager named Ren and his family move from Chicago, which is a big city, into a small town in the West and immediately can notice the difference. As Ren tries to fit in, he can’t believe that dancing and rock music is illegal. With the prom being around the corner Ren and his classmates want to go against this law and party. Ren is the only one with enough courage to step up and say something to the townspeople.

4. The 1980s In America: Film 1984 Temper of an age = temporal dimension

5. Social Political Dance clubs and hip hop Popular fashion Ronald Reagan
Oversized tops
Stretch pants
Leg warmers
Big hair
Shoulder pads
Ronald Reagan
“Just Say No”
Restrictions on youth

6. Movements in Music The MTV Video Music Awards started
Band Aid – “Do They Know It’s Christmas”
Raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia
Michael Jackson – Thriller sells over 37 million
Music huge part of people’s
lives in America and
worldwide

7. Movements against music
PMRC (Parents' Music Resource Coalition),
Tipper Gore, wife of then-Tennessee Senator Albert Gore
Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker
Oregon and South Carolina Senator wives
Campaign to 'educate' parents about rock music
Tripper Gore daughter came home with “Purple Rain”
Sexually explicit lyrics

8. Elmore City, Oklahoma
-Dancing was outlawed in this mostly Caucasian Community in 1900.
- The townspeople who came to this decision viewed the display of public dance immoral and provocative.
- Dance was finally legalized in 1980 and to this day some people that reside in the town believe it should be outlawed.

9. Dance in cinema is a part of American’s everyday lives through expressions of rebellion, celebration, and expression of self

10. Connection to Film Rebellion against authority Celebration
Ban on rock n roll
Ban on Dance
Celebration
Prom
Clubs, fun, social life
Expression of self
Emotional dancing
Love, anger, happiness

11. Dance and Narrative Integrated Musical
Dance displays character’s emotions
Warehouse scene
How characters interact
Dance club
Ren teaching Willard

12. Convincing the Council
Ren: dance is “our way of celebrating life, that’s the way its always been, it’s the way it should be now”
Dance since “olden times”
Kings leaping and dancing for their Lord

13. Suspension of Disbelief
Realistic – actually happened
Elmore City 1978
Real high school events
Prom
Hanging out at diner
Some dance moves hard to believe
High school students?

14. Role of Ecstasy Escape from pressures Dance = total release At home
In school
At church
Dance = total release

15. Dropping Out
Youth rebelling against previous generations, falling out of normal society
Ariel
Preacher’s daughter turned bad girl

16. Othering A way humans define themselves made up of what they are not
Ren at new
school
From the
“big city”

17. Warehouse Scene

18. Dance Street dancing and jiving Emoitional Rebellion
Hitting car, slamming door, throwing bottle
Rebellion
Cigarettes, beer, abandoned warehouse
Lively and aggressive
Running, jumping, flips
Clips of authority
Preacher, teacher, cops

19. Buddy Film Relationship between Ren and Willard
Ren looks like better dancer
Romance between Ren and Ariel
Ren looks more masculine
Feminine dance style?

20. Conclusion Dance is a strong factor for change
Kids succeed in rebellion through dance
Dance is a good form of rebellion
Even though people try to fight dance, it is a part of everyone’s life