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| The cover of Sue Tabashnik's book The Fans' Love Story: Encore |
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The book's Chapter Ten is Sue Tabashnik's interview of Betty Rollins, a who worked as a dancing extra in the movie. She did not as an hotel employee in the "dirty dancing" scenes. Rather, she acted as a hotel guest dancing in the ballroom.
I will summarize this interview.
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Betty Rollins is the sister of Patt Rocks, who was interviewed in the book's Chapter Nine. The parents of Betty and Patt were avid dancers, and so Betty and Patt grew up to be avid dancers too. Betty and her husband Jack White earned much of their living by teaching and performing ballroom dance.
When Patt, who was living in South Carolina, was hired to work as an extra in the movie, she called her sister Betty, who was living in Alabama. Betty decided that she too wanted to work as a dancing extra in the movie, and so she and Jack traveled to South Carolina to join in the fun.
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| Betty Rollins |
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| Jack White |
One of the extras was a thief who stole stuff in the extras' tent. The thief stole Rollins' earrings. Of course, the extras had no idea that the the movie's story included a couple of thieves.
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The main theme of Tabashnik's book is depicting and explaining ordinary people's love for the movie.
Betty remarked that as avid ballroom dancers, she and her husband ...
... looked down our noses at that type of [dirty] dancing. ... Of course, that's not the way we danced. I think it was just kind of a rebellion.Betty did not like the movie much and was puzzled by its popularity. Betty then questioned Sue Tabashnik about her love of the movie. Betty's questioning of Sue is the book's Chapter Eleven. This chapter is essentially a rehash of the first chapter of her two books. Sue explains how she saw the movie in 1987 and later joined a fan club that provided her with many opportunities to meet other fans, to meet with people involved in making the movie, and to write about the movie.
I ask myself: "Why would that hokey movie be the sensation that it's been? ...
To me, that movie had a purpose -- whether it was shallow or whatever. It was just the beginning of a different era. The music is not the same as it ever was. ....
It was about the the music and dancing -- the kids rebelling or wanting their own style.
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The book includes many photographs. In particular, Rollins provided photographs of behind-the-scenes activities on the filming location. She was photographed posing with various actors and production people. The photographs are of rather poor quality.
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The book includes a reprint of as leaflet that was distributed to all the extras. The leaflet's first two paragraphs:
WELCOME!! Thank you for coming to our open call. We are casting for extras to be in the movie DANCING! which is shooting in the Blacksburg [Mountain Lake, Virginia] area September 5-19, 1986.That is all that the extras were told about the movie's story. Notice that the title Dirty Dancing was not revealed to the extras -- perhaps because many people might not want to participate in a "dirty" movie.
DANCING! starring Patrick (The Outsiders) Swayze and Jennifer (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) Grey, is the story of a young girl's summer in the Catskills in 1963 in a glamorous family resort where she falls in love with a handsome young dance instructor from "the other side of the tracks," learns to dance and grows into a responsible and mature young woman.
The rest of the one-page leaflet provides instructions about the extras reporting their availability, showing up on time and staying until the day's end, dressing appropriately, etc.
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The book includes a list of Dirty Dancing Music Trivia. The list comprises 20 items. Here are two items (10 and 11) right in the middle of the list.
In 1989, "She's Like the Wind" won a the BMI Film and TV Awards for most performed song from a film.The entire list of 20 items is like that.
"Hungry Eyes," performed by Eric Carmen, was $4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1988 and #2 on Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary.
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The book includes 16 pages of fans' statements telling why they love the movie. I liked the following excerpts (all from women):
Age 38
When I listen to the radio and hear the music of “The Time of My Life”, at times it is a real time-travel into the past, where I was a teen and I had an easy and unworried life with less responsibility. … I can relive impressions of youth life with holidays, independence, love, truth, music, and lots of dance. The feeling gives me the strength I need to be able to cope with everyday problems.Age 58
25 years ago, as I sat in the darkened theater day after day, finding refuge from devastating illness … I could forget the pain and depression ... I could enjoy beautiful dancing ... These dancers were young, vibrant ... Despite the incredibly horrible state of my health, what I remember most clearly is the joy I felt each day as I sat in that theater.Age 21
This movie is by far my favourite movie ... The story in general is very natural, a typical young girl’s life as a teenager; going through changes and cutting ties with family, accepting people from different parts of society, knowing what matters and what doesn’t in life, and learning values and lessons in life that are important.Age not stated
It’s impacted my life by going back to being 17 years old, the changes you discover in yourself, breaking away and individuating on your own, not wanting to let your parents down, always being the good girl who does the right thing by everybody.
It has deep, multi-faceted meanings to me.Age 61
When I was young, Dirty Dancing was a fun love story where the “not so pretty” girl stole the heart of the “bad boy.” It was the soundtrack that I listened to on long family car rides and the movie I would play when my girlfriends spent the night. ...
As I grew o1der, I wanted to be just like Baby — smart, witty and a great dancer. I wanted to be on center stage and show that I had so much more to offer than anyone realized. I would watch Dirty Dancing and try to act out the dance moves in my bedroom. The love story between Baby and Johnny became my idea of the ideal love story.
With time, Dirty Dancing became a coming-of-age story that I related to. I’ve found myself in Baby’s shoes — falling for the “bad boy” and making decisions that felt right in my heart, even if it defied my parents’ wishes. Dirty Dancing comforted me as I grew from the quiet girl to become a strong, confident woman. ...
Dirty Dancing has also been a lesson in humility empathy, and equality. Baby falls for Johnny with no regard to social class or education. I’ve tried to model myself on these principles and look for the best in everyone.
Dirty Dancing will always hold a special place in my heart. I feel connected to the movie because it’s grown deeper as I’ve grown. With time, I believe my connection with Dirty Dancing will only grow — it will become a movie about family values and how times may change, but families and love prevail.
It takes me back to a time in my life where a very similar romance occurred. Only difference was, he was a singer with band, rather than a dancer at a resort. But much of the rest of the story is the same. ... I don’t think you ever forget that first magical romance. ...Age 56
I lived in that time period. There was no talking back to your parents, sex before marriage was not acceptable, and families vacationed together. Young people rebelled by smoking, drinking, and “dirty dancing” because those were things their parents would never approve of. As I look back, I think of those things as harmless fun.In her 60s
I think the movie still has appeal today, generations later, because our young people today have no outlet for “harmless fun.” ...
A great number of children come from single-family households who probably never had a family vacation. … There is much less personal contact in our lives today. There is very little face-to-face time. … We have lost the art of conversation and personal interaction. Many families don’t sit down for a meal together. A lot of kids stay out all hours and don’t function within their family. A lot of kids have no boundaries in place, or rebel violently if they do.
I think that’s where the movie Dirty Dancing comes in. … Life seems to slow down as we watch a family enjoy each other’s company and watch a young girl experience her first crush. The purity of the fun and romance is refreshing and probably a little corny to young people today ... but they watch the film because it makes them feel better. ...
I love the film because it reminds me of my own childhood. … I like the simplicity of life at that time, when the worst thing a girl had to worry about was getting a date for the prom. I watch the movie over and over. I love being transported back to the times I wrote in my diary, rolled my hair, was expected to be dressed appropriately for dinner, and rode my bike everywhere.
Today’s young people don’t know what that’s like, and I think it’s a shame because they don’t know what they’re missing.
It must have been the mid ‘90s when I became injured and wound up spending many days and evenings on the couch watching movies. … I really enjoyed it. I was intrigued by the concept, loved the singing, and was wild about all of the dancing. I was enthralled with Patrick’s sensuous performance and loved the story etween him and Baby. I also loved the locations ...Woman, 41 years old
I started watching Dirty Dancing more and more after that because it lifted my spirits and made me very happy. … I’ve watched Dirty Dancing at least fifty times since then. ....
The biggest impact Dirty Dancing had in my life was inspiring me to learn how to dance. I really enjoyed learning the mambo …. I still have fond memories of my [dance] classes ...
Patrick’s passion, intensity, integrity, and love for life made a big impression on me and have inspired me in small ways to live by his example.
He [Swayze] was so gorgeous in that film, and what girl doesn’t like a good-looking guy that can dance! Dancing is intimate; if you’re a guy reading this — girls love it! … Patrick could dance. He made this movie so sexy! I mean it was so sexy that it was very erotic ...This is just a sampling of the fans' statements, which are much more in the book.
I love that time period too. It was of family closeness, going on vacation, and enjoying simple things in life that make you smile and be entertained. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed how people were there to help each other out of a bad situation, and how being honor able really does pay off in the end.
I have seen Dirty Dancing around 50 times!
I love to dance, and watching them dance and seeing how cute Baby was when she was learning the dance reminded me of myself at times, but she had the hot partner. …
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The book can be ordered from various booksellers, including directly from its publisher, Passion Spirit Dreams Press.
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This is the final part of my review of this book.
Dancing! was the working title of the film.
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