Southern Gurl's Books and Such by Vicky Renee Johnson: Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romance film that has become a favorite in the hearts of many. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach. The story documents a teenage girl's coming of age through a relationship with a dance instructor during the family's summer vacation. Patrick Swayze dances into our hearts as Johnny Castle.

Synopsis

Baby develops a crush on the resort's dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), part of the working-class entertainment staff.

When she, while carrying a watermelon, is invited to one of their secret after-hours parties, she observes the "dirty dancing" for the first time. She is intrigued by the sexy dancing, and receives a brief, impromptu lesson from Johnny.

Later, she discovers that his dance partner Penny Johnson (Cynthia Rhodes) is pregnant by Robbie Gould (Max Cantor), the womanizing waiter who is dating and cheating on Baby's sister Lisa. Baby learns that Robbie plans to do nothing about the pregnancy—as he says, "some people count, some people don't." So Baby secures the money from her father to pay for Penny's illegal abortion. Jake agrees to give the money to Baby despite her secrecy regarding what it will be used for, because of the trust Jake has always held in her.

In her efforts to help, Baby also becomes Penny's substitute dancer for a performance at the Sheldrake, a nearby resort where Johnny and Penny perform annually. The upcoming show requires Johnny to train Baby to become a better dancer and learn the required routine.

As Baby becomes Johnny's pupil in dancing, tempers flare and a romance begins to develop in the process. Their performance at the Sheldrake goes reasonably well, though she is too nervous to accomplish the dance's climactic lift. When they return to Kellerman's, they learn that Penny's backstreet abortion was botched, leaving her in agonizing pain. Baby brings her father to help, but he assumes that the pregnancy was caused by Johnny, and he therefore forbids Baby to have anything to do with Johnny or his friends. Jake is furious at Baby for lying to him and betraying his trust. Baby, however, defies him and sneaks out to visit Johnny in his room that same night, where they consummate their blossoming romance.