Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Set in Havana in 1958, as Cuba stands on the brink of revolution, the film follows Katey Miller, an American teenager who has just arrived in the city with her family after her father's job transfer. Bookish and eager to please her parents, Katey becomes curious about the local culture and is drawn to Javier, a hotel waiter and gifted dancer. She persuades him to teach her to dance and to partner her in a prestigious national dance competition, slipping away from her family to rehearse and to see a side of Havana she had not known. The growing attraction between them clashes with her parents' expectations and with the political upheaval closing in around them.

Guy Ferland directed, working from a screenplay by Boaz Yakin and Victoria Arch, with Lawrence Bender and Sarah Green producing. It was Ferland's second feature as director, arriving nine years after his first, The Babysitter. Romola Garai plays Katey and Diego Luna plays Javier, with Sela Ward and John Slattery as her parents, and Jonathan Jackson and January Jones among the supporting cast.

Made for about 25 million dollars, the film took in roughly 28 million worldwide, a modest return. Audience responses have been mixed: it holds 5.9 out of 10 on IMDb from around 31,000 votes and 6.4 out of 10 on TMDB from far fewer. A critics' score of 4.6 out of 10 across 106 reviews places it below the audience ratings.