弗朗西丝（詹妮弗•格雷 饰）与家人到了凯勒曼山区度假。17岁的弗朗西丝对男孩子、舞蹈和家庭游戏都不感兴趣。
一次偶然，她来到了一家旅馆，里面的男男女女非常缠绵地在一起跳舞。弗朗西丝马上觉得这样的舞蹈不堪入目。舞蹈教练约翰尼（帕特里克•斯威兹 饰）来到了她跟前，他为弗朗西丝解开顾虑，并教她舞蹈的基本步。学习过程中，弗朗西丝也发现自己爱上了约翰尼。因为害怕被解雇，约翰尼不敢与弗朗西丝发展下去。
这时约翰尼的舞伴怀上了大学生罗比的孩子，弗朗西丝让自己的医生父亲帮忙检查，但弗朗西丝的父亲误以为孩子是约翰尼的，继而阻止女儿与约翰尼交往，他们俩只好暗中见面。因为被诬陷，约翰尼失业了。

On holiday in New York's Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, 'Baby' shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. Mesmerised by the raunchy dances move and the pounding rhythms,'Baby' can't wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor.

'Baby's' life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny's leading lady both on-stage and off with breathtaking consequences.