Dance Film SF presents
Dirty Dancing
with special guest Kenny Ortega
Thursday, September 17 at 7:00PM
Herbst Theatre* (War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, San Francisco)
Get ready for the time of your life.
Dance Film SF invites you to an unforgettable evening celebrating one of the most beloved dance films ever made. On Thursday, September 17, we’re bringing Dirty Dancing back to the big screen — and we’re bringing along the artist whose choreography made it unforgettable.
Join us for a special screening followed by a live Q&A with Kenny Ortega, the Emmy Award-winning choreographer who shaped every move of this iconic film, in conversation with San Francisco Chronicle columnist Tony Bravo. A Bay Area native and one of Hollywood’s most decorated creative forces, Ortega will share behind-the-scenes stories of how the film came together, his craft of designing choreography for the camera, and personal reflections from a career that has spanned generations from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Newsies to the High School Musical trilogy and his creative partnership with Michael Jackson.
The evening will also mark a special milestone: the presentation of Dance Film SF’s Embodiment Award to Ortega, recognizing his extraordinary and lasting contributions to the world of dance and film.
And the party doesn’t stop there. VIP and Arts Patron ticket holders are invited to an exclusive afterparty following the Q&A, featuring drinks, giveaways, and a themed dance party to close out the night in style.
TICKETS
Tickets are available through City Box Office at: https://www.cityboxoffice.com/dirtydancing
TICKET LEVELS:
- REGULAR PRICE: $40-54 (students: $30). Reserved seating for screening and Q&A (no Afterparty access).
- ARTS PATRON: $107. Premium seating for screening and Q&A, plus Afterparty access. Access to giveaway drawing.
- VIP: $183. VIP seating for screening and Q&A, plus Afterparty access. Two entries into giveaway drawing. Each VIP ticket includes two tickets to a Fall Festival program of their choice at the Brava Theater, November 6-8.
*VENUE ACCESSIBILITY: The Herbst Theatre is located at 401 Van Ness Street inside the Veterans Building of the War Memorial. For accessible entrances into the Veterans Building, there are curb cuts directly in front of the building on Van Ness Ave and around the side of the building in the cul-de-sac off of Franklin Street. Two elevators are in the lobby on the Van Ness Street side, providing access to the Herbst Theatre Dress Circle and Balcony.
ABOUT THE FILM
First dance. First love. The time of your life.
Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she’s disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she’s determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.
PG-13, 100 minutes
Directed by: Emile Ardolino
Choreography by: Kenny Ortega
FEATURED GUESTS
Kenny Ortega, Choreographer of Dirty Dancing
Kenny Ortega’s career is one of the most wide-ranging in Hollywood history. A Bay Area native who got his start in the San Francisco arts scene and was a long time mentee of the late dance legend Gene Kelly, Ortega has shaped some of the most culturally significant dance sequences ever committed to stage and screen, from the parade sequence in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to the final lift in Dirty Dancing to the choreography of the High School Musical trilogy. He served as Michael Jackson’s creative partner on multiple world tours and directed the Jackson documentary This Is It.
His work has earned him multiple Emmy, DGA, MTV, NAACP, and Imagen Awards, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ortega is a recipient of the Disney Legends award, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and an inaugural inductee into the Dance Hall of Fame. He is currently serving as Executive Producer and storywriter for LEGO’s first-ever live-action musical, and is developing two new Broadway productions alongside a number of film and television projects.
Tony Bravo, Q&A Moderator
Tony Bravo is the San Francisco Chronicle’s Arts & Culture columnist. He primarily covers visual arts, the LGBTQ community, style and pop culture. Bravo is also the host of the live interview program “Show & Tell” at Four One Nine and is a contributor to the Chronicle’s Total S.F. coverage and special events series.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSORS
WINE SPONSOR
