▁the ▁Cat sk ills ▁where ▁she ▁participated ▁in ▁" Dir ty ▁Dan cing " ▁compet itions ; ▁she ▁was ▁also ▁nick named ▁" B aby " ▁herself ▁as ▁a ▁girl . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Berg stein ▁wrote ▁a ▁screen play ▁for ▁the ▁Michael ▁Douglas ▁film , ▁It ' s ▁My ▁Turn , ▁however ▁the ▁produ cers ▁cut ▁an ▁er otic ▁dan cing ▁scene ▁from ▁the ▁script , ▁prompt ing ▁her ▁to ▁conce ive ▁a ▁new ▁story ▁that ▁took ▁insp iration ▁from ▁her ▁youth ▁dance ▁compet itions . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁she ▁pitch ed ▁the ▁idea ▁to ▁M GM ▁executive ▁E ile en ▁Mis elle , ▁who ▁liked ▁it ▁and ▁te amed ▁Berg stein ▁with ▁producer ▁L inda ▁Gott lie b . ▁They ▁set ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁with ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Baby ▁based ▁on ▁Berg stein ' s ▁own ▁life ▁and ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Johnny ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁stories ▁of ▁Michael ▁Terra ce , ▁a ▁dance ▁instruct or ▁whom ▁Berg stein ▁met ▁in ▁the ▁Cat sk ills ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁while ▁she ▁was ▁research ing ▁the ▁story . ▁She ▁finished ▁the ▁script ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁but ▁management ▁changes ▁at ▁M GM ▁put ▁the ▁script ▁into ▁turn around , ▁or ▁lim bo . ▁ ▁Berg stein ▁gave ▁the ▁script ▁to ▁other ▁stud ios ▁but ▁was ▁repeatedly ▁rejected ▁until ▁she ▁brought ▁it ▁to ▁V est ron ▁Pictures . ▁While ▁hon ing ▁their ▁pitch ▁to