Dirty Dancing

Fourth grade marked the first time I witnessed Patrick Swayze’s hip swivel, and though it wasn’t in a theatre, the giant projection big screen TV at my friend’s house seared those steamy rehearsal scenes into my young brain forever. It was also the first time I was introduced to the sketchy sides of sex, and though it wouldn’t really dawn on me ’til years later, Dirty Dancing‘s subplots – abortion, abuse, socioeconomics, prejudice – probably opened up my innocent (hungry?) eyes more than any other late-night slumber party film we watched. None of us told our moms we’d seen the film, but I sure did convince mine to sign me up for dance class, practice “the lift” in the pool with my bestie, and desperately try to fluff my Pocahontas long, straight black hair into Baby’s not Sixties but Eighties coif. Rewatching as an adult opened my eyes once again: Baby was a kickass main character and that is definitely Seinfeld‘s Newman as Stan.

Fri., July 8, 7pm (P)

This article appears in May 20 • 2016.

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