Dirty Dancing
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Emile Ardolino
Written by	Eleanor Bergstein
Produced by	Linda Gottlieb
Starring	Patrick Swayze Jennifer Grey Jerry Orbach Cynthia Rhodes
Cinematography	Jeffrey Jur
Edited by	Peter C. Frank
Music by	John Morris Erich Bulling Jon Barns
Production company	Great American Films Limited Partnership
Distributed by	Vestron Pictures
Release dates	May 12, 1987 (1987-05-12) (Cannes) August 21, 1987 (1987-08-21) (United States)
Running time	100 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$4.5 million
Box office	$214 million

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

The film was based on screenwriter Bergstein's own childhood. She originally wrote a screenplay for the Michael Douglas 1980 film It's My Turn, but she ultimately ended up conceiving a story for a film which became Dirty Dancing. She finished the script in 1985, but management changes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put the film in development hell. The production company was changed to Vestron Pictures with Emile Ardolino as director and Linda Gottlieb as producer. Filming took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Mountain Lake, Virginia, with the film's score composed by John Morris and dance choreography by Kenny Ortega.

Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1987 and was released on August 21 in the United States, earning over $214 million worldwide—$64 million in the US and Canada and $150 million in other territories.^[2] It earned positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances of Grey and Swayze, and its soundtrack, created by Jimmy Ienner, generated two multi-platinum albums, and multiple singles. "(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.^[3] In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[4]

The film's popularity successfully launched its titular franchise, including a 1988 television series, multiple reality competition shows, a 2004 prequel titled Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a stage production which has had sellout performances in multiple countries, a made-for-television musical adaptation in 2017, and an untitled sequel with Grey reprising her role.^[5]