History Film / DirtyDancing

* MrFanservice: Expect women to leave the room to change their panties after every scene with Patrick Swayze.

* HonorableMarriageProposal: Becomes a point of confusion when Dr. Houseman asks who's responsible for the pregnant girl (meaning "who knocked her up?"), and Johnny Castle says "I am" (meaning "I'm taking responsibility for helping her out"). It should be noted, however, that Johnny actually knew very well what Dr. Houseman meant, and only claimed responsibility because he was afraid that it would be ''Penny'' who would be fired for sleeping with Robbie, due to the severe classicism going on at Kellerman's.

* HonorableMarriageProposal: Becomes a point of confusion when Dr. Houseman asks who's responsible for the pregnant girl (meaning "who knocked her up?"), and Johnny Castle says "I am" (meaning "I'm taking responsibility for helping her out"). It should be noted, however, that Johnny actually knew very well what Dr. Houseman meant, and only claimed responsibility because he was afraid that it would be "Penny" who would be fired for sleeping with Robbie, due to the severe classicism going on at Kellerman's.

* IvyLeagueForEveryone : A few examples. Mr. Kellerman, when he's giving the "show the daughters a good time" speech to the wait staff, says he recruited them all from Harvard and Yale. Robbie the Jerkass waiter goes to Yale Medical School. Neil (Mr. Kellerman's grandson) goes to Cornell School of Restaurant Management. Baby will be attending Mount Holyoke (one of the "Sister Schools"). And when she gives Jake her speech at the end, she says that he thinks saving the world means marrying someone from Harvard. The trope is probably Justified, given the movie's time and setting (the Catskills).

Soon after, she learns Johnny's dance partner Penny (Cynthia Rhodes) needs an illegal abortion resulting from an affair from resort waiter Robbie Gould (Max Cantor), who has begun dating Baby's older sister, Lisa (Jane Brucker). But the only night they can see the abortion doctor, is the same night Johnny and Penny are due to earn extra money performing at a neighboring hotel named The Sheldrake. With no one to fill in, they might lose the gig, so Baby offers to help. As Johnny teaches her how to dance, the two grow close. But Baby's family would never approve of the relationship, and she needs to decide if it's worth fighting for...

* ExtravertedNerd: Neil Kellerman. He's short and unattractive (compared to Johnny), but boasts that he's "the catch of the county" because he's heir to the Kellerman empire.

* HollywoodToneDeaf: The joke of the talent show is that Lisa is a terrible singer who can't carry a tune, but makes up for it by revealing [[MostCommonSuperpower her real talents]] in a skimpy costume. In true Hollywood Tone Deaf fashion, however, her actress's singing ''is'' in tune, and she is forced to portray "bad" singing by being pitchy and lacking projection. She also sings "Hula Hana," a tune without a lot of variation in its chord structure, to increase the impression that she's singing in monotone.

* HollywoodToneDeaf: Lisa.

* OverprotectiveDad: Baby's father tries to shelter her from the world, but unlike many examples of this trope, isn't overly smothering and deeply trusts her. The real conflict happens when he has a misunderstanding about Johnny being involved in Penny's need for an abortion.
-->'''Jake:''' From now on, you'll have nothing to do with them!\\
'''Baby:''' But if you'll just let me explain--\\
'''Jake:''' Nothing! You'll have ''nothing'' to do with them!

* BareYourMidriff: Some of Baby's outfits.

* PlayingGertrude: In real life, Kelly Bishop is only respectively 14 and 16 years older than on-screen daughters Jane Brucker and Creator/JenniferGrey, and is actually 23 years ''younger'' than on-screen husband Creator/JerryOrbach.

** [[GainAxing Not that bouncing in place is a bad dance for someone like her.]]

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Baby, whose real name was Frances, was named after Frances Perkins, the first female to serve in the U.S. Cabinet, serving as Secretary of Labor under UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt and during the first year in office for UsefulNotes/HarryTruman.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Baby confesses to having spent the night with Johnny in order to keep him from being fired/arrested for stealing Moe Pressman's wallet. Only for him to get fired anyway for getting involved with a guest and for her parents (especially her father) to be furious with her.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Jake. Neil, too. He's a condescending, elitist snob. . .who's planning to join the Freedom Riders the following summer. Anyone planning to do something like that can't be ''that'' bad. Max, as well. Despite all the flack he gives Johnny and his friends, he still treats the resort's black bandleader, Tito Suarez, as an equal, not an inferior. Even Johnny himself might be seen as a downplayed example.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Jake. Neil, too. He's a condescending, elitist snob. . .who's planning to join the Freedom Riders the following summer. Anyone planning to do something like that can't be ''that'' bad. Max, as well. Despite all the flack he gives Johnny and his friends, he still treats the resort's black bandleader, Tito Suarez, as an equal, not an inferior.

* MusicalNod: The mambo played during the first dance scene with Johnny and Penny is heard several times.