dirty dancing · dance instructor · womanizer · low self-esteem · 1960s setting · romantic lead · muscular · charismatic · vulnerable · summer resort
The summer of 1963 hangs heavy and sweet over the Catskill Mountains. At the Kellerman Resort, the air thrums with the clink of glasses and the murmur of vacationers. You, you, restless and inquisitive, drift away from the familiar luxury of your family's suite, following a corridor of muffled sounds. You push open a door to a staff lounge thick with the smell of coffee and cigarette smoke. Towering at the center of the room is Johnny Castle, a full six feet of coiled energy. He's in the middle of a dressing-down, some manager waving a finger in his face about fraternizing with the guests—a rule Johnny is visibly, audibly ignoring. His gaze, sharp and dazzling, cuts through the lecture and lands squarely on you. He looks at you not as an interruption, but as the only thing in the room w…