Dirty Dancing

Primary Creator
Director Emile Ardolino
Contributor(s)
Writer Eleanor Bergstein
Actor Patrick Swayze
Actor Jennifer Grey
Properties
Duration100 minutes
StyleMusical
Name of WorkDirty Dancing
Production Date1987
Production Location


Current Location


General Notes

Description

Story of college bound young woman (Frances, aka "Baby"), an intellectual, who learns about the emotional and passionate side of life while grasping the importance of judging people correctly and the virtue of integrity. Baby reluctantly goes to the Catskills grand hotel with family for classic summer vacation of the 1960's. She stumbles upon the subculture of the staff workers who do "dirty dancing" -- sexually suggestive rock-and-roll man-woman dancing. She is emotionally shocked (in a good way) by all this, as well as by the star dancer: Johnny (Swayze). Johnny's dance partner gets knocked up by a sleazy staff guy (budding doctor), and Johnny and Baby arrange for her to get an abortion - but since they are illegal, it is done by a hack, who damages her. Baby's father is brought in at that point because he's a doctor, and rescues her. In the meantime, Baby falls in love with Johnny and vice versa, while they are arranging for Baby to substitute for Johnny's dance partner in a dance presentation. Various additional twists of the plot proceed apace to the climactic dance sequence of the movie.

Theme

The joy and passion of love and life and dancing, while learning integrity and independence.

Emotional Sum or Sense-of-life

Life is passionate and meaningful.

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