Whilst on holiday with her wealthy parents in an exclusive summer resort, 18-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman develops a crush on the resort's dance instructor, the working class Johnny Castle. Secretly she attends an after-hours party and experiences “dirty dancing” for the first time. She gets involved in helping Johnny’s dancing partner, Penny, who is pregnant by a cheating waiter, Robbie. Baby arranges to pay for an illegal abortion, and also agrees to stand in secretly for Penny while she is having the operation. But Jake Houseman finds out what is happening, and, believing Johnny to be responsible for Penny’s pregnancy, forbids Baby to have any further contact with Johnny. Baby, however, defies him, and when the deception is discovered Johnny is sacked for having an affair with one of the guests. However, he still has to perform the final dance of the season, and he grabs Baby from the audience to be his partner. She, of course, dances superbly, Jake discovers the truth, all is forgiven, and a happy ending ensues.