9 8 7 . ▁The ▁V est ron ▁execut ives ▁had ▁planned ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁the aters ▁for ▁a ▁week end , ▁and ▁then ▁home ▁video , ▁since ▁V est ron ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁video ▁distribution ▁business ▁before ▁film ▁production . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁Review ▁aggreg ator ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes ▁gives ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁rating ▁of ▁ 6 9 % ▁based ▁on ▁reviews ▁from ▁ 6 7 ▁critics ▁and ▁a ▁rating ▁average ▁of ▁ 5 . 9 8 / 1 0 . ▁The ▁site ' s ▁critical ▁cons ensus ▁reads , ▁" Like ▁its ▁wins ome ▁characters , ▁D irty ▁Dan cing ▁uses ▁impress ive ▁ch ore ography ▁and ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁song ▁to ▁sur mount ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁form id able ▁obst acles ." ▁Met ac rit ic , ▁another ▁review ▁aggreg ator , ▁assigned ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁weight ed ▁average ▁score ▁of ▁ 6 5 ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 , ▁based ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁critics , ▁indicating ▁" gener ally ▁favor able ▁reviews ". ▁Aud ien ces ▁pol led ▁by ▁Cinema Score ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁an ▁average ▁grade ▁of ▁" A – " ▁on ▁an ▁A + ▁to ▁F ▁scale . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁described ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁" a ▁met ap hor ▁for ▁America ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 3   – ▁order ly , ▁prosper ous , ▁burst ing ▁with ▁good ▁intent ions , ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁Y idd ish - inf lect ed ▁Cam