▁screen writer ▁Ele an or ▁Berg stein ' s ▁own ▁child hood . ▁She ▁originally ▁wrote ▁a ▁screen play ▁for ▁the ▁Michael ▁Douglas ▁film ▁It ' s ▁My ▁Turn , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁ended ▁up ▁conce iving ▁a ▁story ▁for ▁a ▁film ▁which ▁became ▁D irty ▁Dan cing . ▁She ▁finished ▁the ▁script ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁but ▁management ▁changes ▁at ▁M GM ▁put ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁development ▁hell . ▁The ▁production ▁company ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁V est ron ▁Pictures ▁with ▁Em ile ▁Ar d ol ino ▁as ▁director ▁and ▁L inda ▁Gott lie b ▁as ▁producer . ▁Fil ming ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Lake ▁L ure , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁Mountain ▁Lake , ▁Virginia , ▁with ▁the ▁film ' s ▁score ▁composed ▁by ▁John ▁Morris ▁and ▁dance ▁ch ore ography ▁by ▁Ken ny ▁Or te ga . ▁ ▁D irty ▁Dan cing ▁premier ed ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁C annes ▁Film ▁Festival ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁and ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁ear ning ▁over ▁$ 2 1 4 ▁million ▁world wide . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁film ▁to ▁sell ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁million ▁copies ▁for ▁home ▁video , ▁and ▁its ▁sound track ▁created ▁by ▁Jimmy ▁I en ner ▁generating ▁two ▁multi - pl atin um ▁albums ▁and ▁multiple ▁singles , ▁including ▁"( I ' ve ▁Had ) ▁The ▁Time ▁of ▁My ▁Life ", ▁which