A local dance studio is bringing back its “Dirty Dancing”-themed classes this Valentine’s Day season — complete with a simplified version of the famous routine from the end of the 1987 movie.
Since 2013, Duet Dance Studio, 2412 W. North Ave., has offered a variety of ballroom and Latin dance classes like foxtrot, tango, salsa and bachata — “all the fun party dances,” owner Szewai Lee said.
The year after Lee launched the studio, she said she was looking for a way to spice up her regular group classes while offering a unique date idea for couples on or near Valentine’s Day.
She ultimately landed on using “Dirty Dancing” as a theme, inspired by its iconic finale where Patrick Swayze says his famous “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” line, then performs an elaborate duet with Jennifer Grey.
“Think of that routine. I mean, even now, these days, young people know about it because it’s such an iconic dance routine,” Lee said. “It’s so romantic. It’s just perfect for Valentine’s Day.”
Lee is offering five 90-minute “Dirty Dancing” classes this year before and on Valentine’s Day (between Feb. 10 and 17), with four at her Chicago studio and one in suburban Countryside. Tickets are $110 per couple, and more information is available here.
The instructional part of each class will last for 50 minutes or so, Lee said, and include salsa basics and a pared-down version of the “Dirty Dancing” finale.
“We’re not gonna do the lift,” Lee said, laughing. “But there will be other fun moments, fun tricks that we can learn like a dip, something iconic that you see in the routine. So also because of the routine, they are doing salsa dancing, so we’ll be learning some salsa basics, some turns.”
After the lesson is over, there will be an open dance period where couples can show off their new moves. Each class is also BYOB, and is for dancers aged 21 and over.
“It’s just a super fun event for beginners,” Lee said. “I think sometimes maybe people get afraid, like, ‘Oh, I have to learn how to dance, it’s scary.’ But we want to make it fun, friendly. And the BYOB helps too.”
