Courtney Cox Revisits Dancing in the Dark Moment with Bruce Springsteen
In a delightful throwback to the 1980s, Courteney Cox recently recreated her iconic dance from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video. The 59-year-old actress joined a popular TikTok trend, sharing a clip that quickly went viral. The video begins with Cox awkwardly dancing to Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy,” a track often used in the trend. Suddenly, she rips off her blue sweater to reveal a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band T-shirt, transitioning to an enthusiastic dance to “Dancing in the Dark.”
Cox’s TikTok video not only brought back memories for fans but also included a nostalgic clip of her and Springsteen dancing on stage in the original 1984 music video. The caption read, “1980’s dancing…in the dark,” and fans were quick to praise her for revisiting the past. Comments flooded in, with one fan declaring, “Welp. Now this trend can end. Courteney wins!” Another added, “This is genius! And you’ve still got the moves.”
Even celebrities chimed in, with Jennifer Garner commenting, “You win!” Cox’s dance moves from nearly four decades ago still resonate with audiences today, proving her timeless appeal.
Cox was just 20 years old when she was cast in the “Dancing in the Dark” music video, directed by Brian De Palma. The video was filmed during the opening night of Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” tour in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cox was famously pulled out of the crowd to dance on stage with Springsteen, a moment that has since become iconic.
In a 2022 interview on “The Howard Stern Show,” Cox reminisced about the audition process. “I thought I was in the wrong place. I was like, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing, but I can’t even bend my leg. This is it,’” she said. “I went into Brian De Palma’s office. He put on the music and said, ‘Well, you dance.’ And I thought, ‘Right now? Here? In front of you? Just the two of us?’”
Cox has often reflected on how the music video opened doors for her in the entertainment industry. In a 2017 interview with Off Camera, she mentioned that the video “got me in the door to so many places,” even though she initially didn’t want to be the person picked by Springsteen to go onstage. “I didn’t want to dance in front of 30,000 people. It was a full concert, and we did the song twice, back to back,” she recalled.
After the music video, Cox landed several guest roles on television before being cast as Monica Geller in “Friends,” which premiered in 1994. The show catapulted her to worldwide fame, and she starred in it for 10 seasons. She also joined the “Scream” movie franchise as Gale Weathers in 1996, further solidifying her status as a household name.
The “Dancing in the Dark” music video itself has an interesting backstory. Initially, there was a scrapped version directed by Jeff Stein, which featured a different concept. According to music video historian Stephen Pitalo, Stein’s idea involved Springsteen dancing in a completely dark space. However, Springsteen was not satisfied with the concept and eventually brought in Brian De Palma to direct the final version.
De Palma’s version included the now-famous scene where Springsteen pulls a girl from the crowd to dance with him on stage. This idea was inspired by De Palma’s unproduced rock-themed film “Fire,” which was based on Jim Morrison. The final video, filmed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, captured the essence of the 1980s and has remained a significant part of pop culture.
Cox’s recent TikTok video serves as a reminder of her enduring connection to that iconic moment. It also highlights the lasting impact of the “Dancing in the Dark” music video, which continues to be celebrated by fans old and new. As Cox herself said, “I’m a much better dancer now,” but it’s clear that her original dance moves still hold a special place in the hearts of many.
