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

The movie 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 management at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer delayed the film for a long time. The production company later 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 dance choreography was 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—$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, produced two multi-platinum albums and several popular songs. The song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy Awards. In 2024, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The film’s success led to a franchise, including 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 2017 made-for-television musical adaptation, and an untitled sequel in which Jennifer Grey returns as Baby Houseman.

Plot

In the summer of 1963, teenager Frances "Baby" Houseman visits Kellerman's, a luxury resort in the Catskills. She is with her family: her father, Jake, a doctor; her mother, Marge; and her older sister, Lisa. The resort is owned by Max, Jake's friend, who is known for being sarcastic.

One night, Baby sees Max telling waiters—students from top universities—to flirt with the daughters of guests, even if the daughters are not attractive. Max also treats the resort's entertainment staff, including Johnny Castle, a dance instructor, with disrespect.

Baby becomes interested in Johnny. After meeting him at a secret party for staff, she dances with him. Meanwhile, Max's grandson, Neil, tries to flirt with Baby.

Baby learns that Johnny's dance partner, Penny, is pregnant with a child from Robbie, a waiter who studies medicine at Yale. Robbie refuses to help Penny, so Baby takes money from her father without explaining why to pay for Penny's abortion.

Penny initially refuses the money because accepting it would mean missing a performance, which would cost her and Johnny their pay. Baby offers to take Penny's place. During their dance lessons, Baby and Johnny grow closer. Although they struggle with a difficult dance move, their performance is successful.

Later, Penny is seriously hurt after the abortion. Baby asks her father for help to treat Penny. When Jake finds out Baby lied about why she borrowed the money, he becomes angry and tells Baby to stay away from Penny and Johnny.

Baby goes to apologize to Johnny, but he believes he deserves the punishment because of his lower social status. Baby tells him he is valuable and confesses her feelings for him. They start secretly dating, and Jake refuses to speak to Baby.

Johnny refuses to accept a dishonest offer from Vivian Pressman, a woman who is cheating on her husband. Vivian later sleeps with Robbie, which stops Lisa from having a planned romantic encounter with him. When Vivian sees Baby leaving Johnny's cabin, she 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 being friends with Baby.

Before leaving, Johnny tries to talk to Jake, but Jake accuses him of only wanting to be close to Baby. Baby later apologizes to her father for lying but does not stop seeing Johnny. She also tells her father he is unfair because of his attitude toward people of lower social class.

At the end-of-season talent show, Jake gives Robbie a letter to help him get into medical school. However, when Robbie admits he got Penny pregnant and insults Penny and Baby, Jake takes back the letter.

Johnny appears 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 the difficult move. Jake realizes he was wrong about Johnny and reconciles with Baby. Everyone joins 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 during that time and appeared in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off with her)

Production

The movie Dirty Dancing is based on the life of its screenwriter, Eleanor Bergstein. She is the younger daughter of a Jewish doctor from New York and spent summers with her family in the Catskills, where she took part in "Dirty Dancing" competitions. She was also called "Baby" as a child. In 1980, Bergstein wrote a screenplay for the movie It's My Turn, but the producers removed an erotic dancing scene from the script. This led her to create a new story inspired by her childhood dance experiences. In 1984, she shared the idea with Eileen Miselle, an executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), who liked it and paired Bergstein with producer Linda Gottlieb. They set the story in 1963, with the character Baby based on Bergstein’s own life and Johnny inspired by 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 put the project on hold.

Bergstein tried to give the script to other studios, but they refused. 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 movie before but was excited about the project after reading the script while serving on a jury. The team presented their plan to Vestron’s leaders, Jon Peisinger and Mitchell Cannold, and Peisinger approved the project, making it Vestron’s first feature film. The film had a budget of $5 million, which was much lower than the average film budget of $12 million at the time.

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

Director Ardolino wanted actors who could also dance, avoiding the method used in Flashdance (1983). For the role of Frances "Baby" Houseman, the producers considered Winona Ryder, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Sharon Stone. They chose Jennifer Grey, a 26-year-old actress whose father, Joel Grey, had won an Oscar for his role in Cabaret (1972). Grey was paid $50,000 for her role. For the male lead, the producers first considered Billy Zane, but he did not meet expectations in screen tests. Val Kilmer and Benicio del Toro were also considered. They eventually chose Patrick Swayze, a 34-year-old dancer with experience from the Joffrey Ballet. Swayze had a knee injury on his resume, but he accepted the role after reading the script. His character’s heritage was later changed from Italian to Irish. Grey was initially unhappy with the casting, as she and Swayze had had a difficult time working together on Red Dawn (1984), but their chemistry became clear during a screen test.

Other cast members included Jerry Orbach as Dr. Jake Houseman, Baby’s father, and Jane Brucker as Lisa Houseman, Baby’s older sister. 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. Bergstein’s friend, radio personality "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, was cast as the magician. He also helped with music for the film. The social director role went to Wayne Knight, who later appeared on 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 film’s assistant choreographer, Miranda Garrison, took over the guest role.

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 called Firefly Cove. These scenes included Baby’s dancing on the stairs, Johnny’s cabin, and the final dance. The golf scene where Baby asks her father for $250 was filmed at Rumbling Bald Golf Course. 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 extreme heat, with temperatures inside the filming area reaching 120 °F (49 °C). Ten people passed out during one day of filming, and Paula Trueman was hospitalized for dehydration. Patrick Swayze injured his knee during a stunt and required medical treatment.

Delays pushed filming into autumn, forcing set decorators to paint leaves green to mimic spring. Cold weather made the lake’s temperature drop to near 40 °F (4 °C) for the famous swimming scene, which was filmed in October. Grey described the water as "horrifically" cold but said she would not have participated if she had not been young and determined.

Relations between Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze were sometimes difficult, as they had previously struggled to work together on Red Dawn (1984). However, their screen test showed strong chemistry, which helped their collaboration on the film.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a website that collects movie reviews, gave the film a 73% rating based on 80 critics' opinions. The site's summary of reviews states, "Like its charming characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive dance moves and music to overcome many challenges." Another review site, Metacritic, gave the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 20 critics, which means most reviews were positive. Audiences who saw the film in theaters gave it an average grade of "A−" on a scale from A+ to F.

The New York Times described the film as "a metaphor for America in the summer of 1963—organized, prosperous, and full of good intentions, like a peaceful and prosperous time." Other reviews were mixed. Gene Siskel gave the film a "marginal Thumbs Up" because he liked Jennifer Grey's acting and character development. Roger Ebert gave it a "Thumbs Down" because he thought the story was predictable and not well-written. Time magazine said the film had "rough energy" in its music and dance, but the ending was too simple and idealistic. In a later review, Jezebel writer Irin Carmon called the film "the greatest movie of all time" for its brave portrayal of women and its subtle comments on class and gender.

Abortion rights supporters have called the film a "gold standard" for how abortion is shown in movies. Author Yannis Tzioumakis said the film shows abortion in a kind way, focusing on the woman's health and future ability to have children, not just the moral debate.

The film attracted more adult viewers than expected, and many people gave it high ratings. After seeing it once, many went back to watch it again. Word-of-mouth praise helped the film become the top movie in the United States. Within 10 days, it earned over $10 million. By November, it was famous worldwide. In seven months, it made $63 million in the U.S. and increased dance class attendance across America. It was one of the most successful films of 1987, earning $170 million globally.

The film remained popular after its release. It was the top video rental in 1988 and the first movie to sell a million video copies. When it was re-released in 1997, ten years after its original release, Patrick Swayze received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Video copies were still selling at a rate of over 40,000 per month. By 2005, it sold a million DVDs each year, and by 2007, over ten million copies had been sold.

In 2007, a survey by Britain's Sky Movies ranked Dirty Dancing as the top film most watched by women, above Star Wars, Grease, The Sound of Music, and Pretty Woman. The film is sometimes called "the Star Wars for girls" because of its lasting popularity.

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

In October 2021, during a debate about abortion in Texas, The Hollywood Reporter suggested watching Dirty Dancing to revisit how abortion is shown in movies. Angie Han, a writer for the magazine, praised the film's writer, Eleanor Bergstein.

The film is recognized by the American Film Institute 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 personal collection of records. When choosing actual music for the film, Vestron selected Jimmy Ienner as music supervisor. Ienner, who had previously worked with John Lennon and Three Dog Night, decided to use much of the music 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 several years earlier with Stacy Widelitz, originally planning for it to be used 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 contained "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 include:

• "(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 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 re-released, "Do You Love Me" became a surprise hit, 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 English) using 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 hosted special events, such as dance lessons, guided tours, film showings, parties, and outdoor games. However, Lionsgate, the company that owns the movie, ended the Dirty Dancing festival in 2023. A new event called the Lake Lure Dance Festival now takes place instead, though organizers say they still honor the movie. The wooden floor used for the final dance scene in the film was saved and placed in the Esmeralda Inn and Restaurant.

The movie is shown each year for new students at Mount Holyoke College, especially for 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 considered important for its cultural, historical, or artistic value.

In 2025, the film became the 500th movie to be viewed one million times on the website Letterboxd.

Other media

In 1988, a music tour called Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert took place. It featured 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 original cast and crew were not involved. The show 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. It starred Romola Garai and Diego Luna. The story follows an American teenager who learns 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 but received mostly negative reviews from critics.

The film was adapted into a stage musical in 2004 called Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage. It was produced in Australia by Jacobsen Entertainment for $6.5 million. The musical was written by Eleanor Bergstein and included the same songs as the film, plus some new scenes. A composer named Chong Lim, who also worked on 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 show sold over 200,000 tickets during its six-month run. It later had successful runs in Germany and London’s West End. In London, the show opened at the Aldwych Theatre on October 23, 2006, with the highest ticket sales in the city’s history, earning £6 million (about $12 million). 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, then toured the UK and Ireland. It returned to the West End in 2013 and again in 2022 and 2023.

A New York production was planned in 2006, with the show first appearing in other North American cities. In May 2007, 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 a mostly Canadian cast. After Toronto, the show opened in Chicago in 2008, then in Boston and Los Angeles.

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

A new stage version of the film will begin a North American tour in August 2026 at the Ordway Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

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

In the UK, Channel Five aired a special documentary called Seriously Dirty Dancing to mark the 20th anniversary. Hosted by Dawn Porter, a journalist and fan of the film, the documentary was the most-watched on the channel in 2007. Porter visited the film set, met fans, and performed the final dance in front of friends and family.

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

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

Plans for a sequel to the original film were first discussed in 1988. In 2020, a sequel was announced with Jennifer Grey returning as Baby. In 2022, Lionsgate confirmed the film’s tentative title as DD and that Grey would reprise her role. The film was scheduled for a February 2024 release, directed by Jonathan Levine. 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.

In 2023, Netflix released a docuseries called The Movies That Made Us. The first episode focused on Dirty Dancing, showing how the film was made and including behind-the-scenes facts.