Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. The film stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. It follows the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey), a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) while visiting a resort in the 1963 Borscht Belt.

The film was inspired by Bergstein’s own childhood. She first wrote a screenplay for the 1980 film It's My Turn, but later created the story for Dirty Dancing. She completed the script in 1985, but changes in leadership at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer delayed the film for a long time. The production company became Vestron Pictures, with Emile Ardolino as director and Linda Gottlieb as producer. Filming took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Mountain Lake, Virginia. The film’s music was composed by John Morris, and the dance moves were planned by Kenny Ortega.

Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1987, and was released in the United States on August 21, 1987. It earned over $214 million worldwide, including $64 million in the U.S. and Canada and $150 million in other countries. Critics praised the performances of Grey and Swayze and the film’s soundtrack. The soundtrack, created by Jimmy Ienner, included two albums that sold a lot of copies and multiple songs. The song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In 2024, the film was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because it is considered culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

The film’s popularity led to the creation of a franchise. This includes a 1988 television series, several reality competition shows, a 2004 prequel titled Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a stage production that sold out in many countries, a TV musical version in 2017, and an untitled sequel in which Grey reprises her role.

Plot

In the summer of 1963, teenager Frances "Baby" Houseman goes on vacation with her family. Her father, Jake, is a cardiologist. Her mother is Marge, and her older sister is Lisa. They stay at Kellerman's, a luxurious resort in the Catskills. The resort is in the Borscht Belt, a region known for many resorts. It is owned by Jake's sarcastic best friend, Max.

One night, Baby secretly watches Max tell waiters, all college students, to flirt with the daughters of guests, even if the daughters are not attractive. Max also treats the resort's working-class entertainers, like Johnny Castle, a dance instructor, with disrespect.

Baby becomes interested in Johnny. After Johnny's kind cousin, Billy, introduces them at a secret party for staff, Baby dances with him briefly. Meanwhile, Max's grandson, Neil, tries to flirt with Baby.

Baby learns that Johnny's dance partner, Penny, is pregnant with the child of Robbie, a waiter and student at Yale. Robbie refuses to help Penny. Baby borrows money from her father without explaining why to pay for Penny's abortion.

At first, Penny refuses the money because accepting it would cause her and Johnny to miss a performance, risking their jobs. Baby offers to take Penny's place. During their dance lessons, Baby and Johnny grow closer. Though they struggle with a difficult dance move, their performance is successful.

Back at the resort, Penny is seriously hurt after the abortion. Baby asks her father for help to care for Penny. Her father is angry that Baby lied and assumes Johnny is responsible. He tells Baby to stay away from Johnny and Penny.

Baby sneaks to apologize to Johnny, but Johnny believes he deserves the punishment because of his lower social status. Baby tells him he is valuable and confesses her feelings. They start secretly dating, and her father stops speaking to her.

Johnny refuses to accept a dishonest offer from Vivian Pressman, a married woman who later sleeps with Robbie. This upsets Lisa's plan to have a romantic relationship with Robbie. When Vivian sees Baby leaving Johnny's cabin, she becomes angry and falsely accuses Johnny of stealing her husband's wallet.

Max plans to fire Johnny, but Baby proves he was with her the night of the theft. The real thieves, Sydney and Sylvia Schumacher, are caught, but Johnny is still fired for spending time with Baby.

Before leaving, Johnny tries to talk to Dr. Houseman but is accused of only wanting to be close to Baby. Later, Baby apologizes to her father for lying but not for her relationship with Johnny. She accuses him of treating people unfairly based on their class.

At the end-of-season talent show, Dr. Houseman gives Robbie a letter of recommendation for medical school. However, when Robbie admits he got Penny pregnant and insults her and Baby, Dr. Houseman takes back the letter.

Johnny arrives and interrupts the final song by bringing Baby onstage. He says she has made him a better person, and they perform the dance they practiced all summer, successfully completing a difficult move. Dr. Houseman realizes he was wrong about Johnny and reconciles with Baby. The resort staff and guests join Baby and Johnny in dancing to "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."

Cast

• "Cousin Brucie" Morrow appears as a magician and as the voice of a DJ in some parts of the movie
• Emile Ardolino
• Matthew Broderick, who was dating Grey at the time and also acted with her in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Production

The movie Dirty Dancing is based on the childhood experiences of its screenwriter, Eleanor Bergstein. She is the younger daughter of a Jewish doctor from New York and spent summers in the Catskills with her family. She participated in "Dirty Dancing" competitions and was nicknamed "Baby" as a child. In 1980, Bergstein wrote a screenplay for the film It's My Turn, but the producers removed an erotic dancing scene from the script. This inspired her to create a new story based on her own childhood dance competitions. In 1984, she shared her idea with Eileen Miselle, an executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), who liked it and paired Bergstein with producer Linda Gottlieb. They set the film in 1963, with the character of Baby modeled after Bergstein’s life and the character of Johnny based on stories about Michael Terrace, a dance instructor she met in the Catskills in 1985. Bergstein finished the script in November 1985, but changes in leadership at MGM delayed the project.

Bergstein tried to share the script with other studios but was turned down repeatedly. She eventually brought it to Vestron Pictures. To make the pitch more appealing, Gottlieb agreed to cut the budget in half. Bergstein and Gottlieb chose Emile Ardolino as the film’s director. Ardolino had never directed a feature film before but became very excited about the project after reading the script while on jury duty. Together, they presented their vision to Vestron’s leaders, Jon Peisinger and Mitchell Cannold. Peisinger approved the project, making it Vestron’s first feature film. The film’s budget was $5 million, which was much lower than the average film cost of $12 million at the time.

For choreography, Bergstein chose Kenny Ortega, who had been trained by Gene Kelly. They could not find a suitable location in the Catskills (many resorts had closed), so they used two locations: Lake Lure, North Carolina, and the Mountain Lake Hotel near Pembroke, Virginia. Careful editing made it look like all scenes were filmed in one place.

Director Ardolino insisted on casting actors who could both dance and act, avoiding the "stand-in" method used in Flashdance (1983). For the role of Frances "Baby" Houseman, Winona Ryder, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Sharon Stone were considered. Bergstein chose Jennifer Grey, who was 26 years old and the daughter of Joel Grey, an Oscar-winning actor and dancer. Grey was paid $50,000 for her role (equivalent to $150,000 in 2025). The male lead was initially considered for Billy Zane, Val Kilmer, and Benicio del Toro, but 34-year-old Patrick Swayze was chosen. Swayze had experience as a dancer from the Joffrey Ballet but had a knee injury that limited his dancing. He agreed to take the role after reading the script and later had his character’s heritage changed from Italian to Irish. Grey was initially unsure about working with Swayze, but their chemistry during a screen test was clear.

Other cast members included Jerry Orbach as Baby’s father, Dr. Jake Houseman, and Jane Brucker as Baby’s older sister, Lisa Houseman. Bergstein tried to cast her friend, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, as Mrs. Schumacher but Westheimer declined because the role involved stealing. The part went to 89-year-old Paula Trueman. Another role went to "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, a New York radio personality, who played a magician and also provided period music advice. The social director was played by Wayne Knight, who later became known for Seinfeld and 3rd Rock from the Sun.

The role of Baby’s mother was originally given to Lynne Lipton, but she became ill and was replaced by Kelly Bishop, who had already been cast as a resort guest. Bishop took over the role of Mrs. Houseman, and the assistant choreographer, Miranda Garrison, played the resort guest.

Principal photography for Dirty Dancing took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Mountain Lake, Virginia. Scenes in Lake Lure were filmed at a former Boy Scout camp called Camp Chimney Rock, now a private community. These scenes included Baby’s dancing on the signature stairs, Johnny’s cabin, and the final dance. Scenes in Mountain Lake included the hotel, beach games, and the Houseman family’s cabins.

Filming began on September 5, 1986, and lasted 43 days. The production faced challenges, including extreme heat (up to 120 °F inside the filming area) and cold lake temperatures during the swimming scene. Several cast and crew members became ill, including Paula Trueman, who was treated for dehydration, and Patrick Swayze, who injured his knee during a stunt.

The filming schedule was delayed into autumn, requiring set decorators to paint leaves green to match the summer setting. The relationship between Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze was difficult at times, as they had previously worked together on Red Dawn (1984) and had some tension.

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 73% rating based on 80 critics' opinions. The site's summary states, "Like its charming characters, Dirty Dancing uses strong dance moves and music to overcome many challenges." Metacritic, another review site, gave the film a score of 65 out of 100 based on 20 critics, which means most reviews were positive. CinemaScore, which polls moviegoers, gave the film an "A−" grade, the highest possible on its scale.

The New York Times described the film as "a metaphor for America in 1963—organized, prosperous, and full of good intentions, like a version of Camelot." Other reviews were mixed. Gene Siskel gave the film a "marginal Thumbs Up," praising Jennifer Grey's acting and character development. Roger Ebert gave it a "Thumbs Down," criticizing the plot as "predictable" and calling it a "tired story about love between people from different backgrounds." Time magazine said the film had "rough energy" in its music and dance but found the ending "too neat" and "inspirational." A later review by Jezebel called the film "the greatest movie of all time," highlighting its "brave portrayal of women" and "subtle critiques of class and gender."

Abortion rights supporters have called the film the "gold standard" for showing abortion on screen. Author Yannis Tzioumakis noted the film portrays a woman seeking an abortion without being criticized, focusing instead on her health and future ability to have children.

The film attracted more adult viewers than expected, with many watching it twice in theaters. Word-of-mouth praise helped it reach number one in the United States and earn over $10 million in 10 days. By November, it had gained international popularity. Within seven months of its release, it earned $63 million in the U.S. and increased dance class attendance. It was one of the top-grossing films of 1987, making $170 million worldwide.

The film remained popular after its release. It was the top video rental in 1988 and the first film to sell a million video copies. When it was re-released in 1997, Patrick Swayze received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and videos continued selling at a rate of over 40,000 per month. By 2005, it sold a million DVDs yearly, with over 10 million copies sold by 2007.

A 2007 survey by Britain's Sky Movies ranked Dirty Dancing as the top film on "Women's most-watched films," beating Star Wars, Grease, The Sound of Music, and Pretty Woman. The film is sometimes called "the Star Wars for girls."

The film's music also had a lasting impact. The song " (I've Had) The Time of My Life," featured at the end, was listed as the "third most popular song played at funerals" in the UK.

In 2021, during a debate about abortion in Texas, The Hollywood Reporter recommended Dirty Dancing as a film to revisit for its portrayal of abortion. Angie Han, a writer for the magazine, highlighted the film's script by Eleanor Bergstein.

The American Film Institute recognized the film in these lists:
– 2002: AFI's 100 Years…100 Passions – #93
– 2004: AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs: " (I've Had) The Time of My Life" – #86
– 2005: AFI's 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes: Johnny Castle: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." – #98

Music

Rehearsals for the dancing and some filming used music from Bergstein's collection of old records. When choosing music for the film, Vestron selected Jimmy Ienner as music supervisor. Ienner, who had previously worked on albums and songs for John Lennon and Three Dog Night, decided to use many of the songs already used during filming and obtained licenses for the songs from Bergstein's collection. He also asked Swayze to sing the new song "She's Like the Wind." Swayze had written the song years earlier with Stacy Widelitz, originally planning to use it in the film Grandview, U.S.A. (1984).

John Morris composed the film's score. The lyrics for the Kellermans' song that closes the talent show were written specifically for the film and were sung to the tune of "Annie Lisle," a common theme for school alma maters. Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison chose the song for the finale by listening through an entire box of tapes. According to Ortega, the last tape they listened to had "The Time of My Life," which they saw as the best choice. Ienner then insisted that Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes record it. The song won the 1988 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

The film's soundtrack started an oldies music revival, and the demand for the album surprised RCA Records. The Dirty Dancing album spent 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went platinum 14 times, selling more than 32 million copies worldwide. It led to a follow-up multi-platinum album released in February 1988, called More Dirty Dancing.

Songs from the album that appeared on the charts included:

• "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, composed by Franke Previte, John deNicola, and Donald Markowitz – this song reached No. 1 on the pop charts.
• "She's Like the Wind," performed by lead actor Patrick Swayze, composed by Swayze and Stacy Widelitz – this song peaked at No. 3 in 1988.
• "Hungry Eyes," performed by Eric Carmen, composed by Franke Previte and John deNicola – this song peaked at No. 4 in 1988.
• "Yes," performed by Merry Clayton, composed by Neal Cavanaugh, Terry Fryer, and Tom Graf – this song peaked at No. 45 in 1988.

The Dirty Dancing album held the number one spot on the Billboard album chart for over four months. As of July 2022, the Dirty Dancing album has sold over 14 million copies. Additionally, the resurgence in popularity of the oldies in the movie led to a re-release of The Contours' single "Do You Love Me." "Do You Love Me" was featured in the movie but was not included in the original soundtrack; it was added to More Dirty Dancing. When it was re-released, "Do You Love Me" became a surprise hit again, peaking at No. 11 (it originally reached No. 3 in 1962).

Legacy

In Sweden, a feminist art group called Sisters of Jam displayed the phrase "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" in white neon lights at Umeå Bus Square in 2008 and at Karlstad University in 2012.

The location where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed has offered themed weekend events, including dance lessons, guided tours, film showings, parties, and lawn games. In 2023, Lionsgate ended the Dirty Dancing festival, so a new event called the Lake Lure Dance Festival was created instead. Organizers say they still honor the movie. The wooden floor from the final dance scene in the film was saved and used in the Esmeralda Inn and Restaurant.

The movie is shown every year for new first-year students at Mount Holyoke College, especially to highlight the line "Baby's starting Mount Holyoke in the fall."

In 2024, the film was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because it is culturally, historically, or aesthetically important.

In 2025, the film became the 500th title to be recorded one million times on Letterboxd.

Other media

In 1988, a music tour called Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert took place. It included performers such as Bill Medley, Eric Carmen, Merry Clayton, the Contours, and Ronnie Spector. The tour visited 90 cities over three months.

In October 1988, CBS began a weekly television series with the same name. However, the show did not involve the original cast or crew. The series starred Melora Hardin as Baby and Patrick Cassidy as Johnny. It was canceled after ten episodes.

In 2004, a prequel film titled Havana Nights was released. The film featured Romola Garai and Diego Luna. It told the story of an American teenager learning about life through dance after her family moves to Havana, Cuba, just before the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Patrick Swayze was paid $5 million to appear briefly as a dance teacher. The film earned some money at the box office but received mostly negative reviews from critics.

The film was adapted into a stage musical in 2004, titled Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage. It was produced in Australia by Jacobsen Entertainment for $6.5 million. Eleanor Bergstein wrote the musical, which included the same songs as the film and added new scenes. Chong Lim, a composer for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, directed the music. The first production starred Kym Valentine as Baby and Josef Brown as Johnny. Although reviews were mixed, the musical was a commercial success, selling over 200,000 tickets during its six-month run. It later had successful runs in Germany and London’s West End. The West End production opened at the Aldwych Theatre on October 23, 2006, and sold the most tickets before opening in London. By March 2011, over 1 million people had seen the musical in London, with tickets selling out six months in advance. The original West End production closed in July 2011 after five years and later returned to the West End in 2013 and 2022.

A New York production was planned in 2006, with the musical first appearing in other North American cities. It set a box office record in Toronto, Canada, selling $2 million in tickets on the first day of sales. The production opened in Toronto on November 15, 2007, with an all-Canadian cast except for a few actors. After Toronto, the musical opened in Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles.

An official American tour began in September 2014 at the National Theatre in Washington, DC. The tour included stops in 31 cities. The original cast included Jillian Mueller as Frances "Baby" Houseman, Samuel Pergande as Johnny Castle, and others.

A new stage production of the film will begin a North American Tour in August 2026 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

In 2007, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film, the movie was re-released in theaters with added scenes. The original film was also released on DVD with deleted scenes and commentary from the writer. At the same time, a video game titled Dirty Dancing: The Video Game was released by Codemasters. In the United Kingdom, a reality TV show called Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life was filmed at the Mountain Lake resort.

In the UK, Channel Five aired a documentary titled Seriously Dirty Dancing to mark the 20th anniversary. The show, hosted by Dawn Porter, included interviews with fans and a performance of the film’s famous dance. It became the most-watched documentary on Channel Five in 2007.

In August 2011, Lionsgate announced plans to remake the film. The original film’s choreographer, Kenny Ortega, was chosen to direct the remake. A miniseries version of Dirty Dancing was planned to be filmed in Western North Carolina but was later put on hold.

In December 2015, ABC ordered a three-hour musical remake of Dirty Dancing. The remake starred Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes, Debra Messing, Sarah Hyland, Nicole Scherzinger, Billy Dee Williams, and Shane Harper. It aired in May 2017 but received mostly negative reviews.

Plans for a Dirty Dancing sequel were first discussed in 1988. In 2020, a sequel was announced, with Jennifer Grey set to reprise her role as Baby. In 2022, Lionsgate confirmed the sequel would be titled DD and that Grey would return as Baby. The film was planned for a February 2024 release, with Jonathan Levine as director. However, due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, the release was delayed to an unspecified date in 2025. Filming is expected to begin in 2026, with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson producing and Kim Rosenstock writing the script.

A Netflix docuseries titled The Movies That Made Us began with an episode about Dirty Dancing. The first episode explored the challenges of making the film and included behind-the-scenes facts.