Gymnast Crossing: Gymnastics Stunts in the Footloose Movies

There was a stunt dude there who did the gymnastics flip ‘cause I couldn’t do that. I was going to try, but they wouldn’t let me.

-Kenny Wormald interview for Footloose remake

A YouTube search for Art Shurlock's McDonald's commercial in '84 had me somehow end up on Footloose.

I had no idea up until half an hour ago that there was a Footloose remake in 2011.

Here is a deleted scene:

Chuck Gaylord was one of Kevin Bacon's stunt doubles for the gymnastics sequences and gymnastics consultant for the movie. Apparently, Bacon is angry that most of the famous warehouse footage incorporated mostly stunt doubles:

Kevin Bacon says that he did the majority of the dancing in the film, except for the lively warehouse scene.

“I was furious," Bacon, 53, tells People. "It's like a starting pitcher getting taken out of a game – no one wants to be told they can't get the guy out."

"I had a stunt double, a dance double and two gymnastics doubles," he goes on to say. "There were five of us in the f---ing outfit, and I felt horrible."

Moviefone's interview with choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett:

Tell us about Peter Tramm, the dancer who doubled for Kevin Bacon.

Taylor-Corbett: Kevin hadn't initially wanted a double. He was so terrific, he worked so hard, but the truth is, you can't fake having danced your whole life. It wouldn't have looked as good as it did and I think we made it look as good as possible. I myself was incredulous with the way it cut together. That scene in the warehouse is always used in clips of 'greatest dance scenes.'

And you had gymnast Chuck Gaylord doubling him on the gymnastics moves!

Taylor-Corbett: Yes, and then there was also a stunt man, so at one time, I had a picture of four Kevins on set!

How was it decided that Kevin Bacon's character would have a gymnastics background?

People magazine:

Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett worked with Bacon for three weeks in preproduction and tailored the steps to his strengths. "Because I'm not a dancer, I don't pick up things immediately," says Kevin, "but I'm not a complete bozo." After the producers decided on the big acrobatics number in the warehouse, the character was transformed into a gymnast. Kevin, who had never been on a high bar before, worked the skin off his hands training. His coach, Chuck Gaylord—who at the same time was preparing brother Mitch Gaylord for the Olympics—was impressed. "I've never trained anyone from ground zero before," says Gaylord, who does one tough stunt on film that double Tramm couldn't handle. "I thought an actor would be a real prima donna, but he worked really hard."

AMC blog:

7. Bacon went through two months of training to get in shape for this role. His 6-hour daily regimen consisted of jazz lessons, modern dance lessons, body building and gymnastics.

8. Kevin Bacon’s gymnastic coach/double was Chuck Gaylord, brother of Olympic champion Mitch. Gaylord performed Footloose's famous dismount, saying, "There's no way to teach a layman a dismount like that."