Pleasure Principles + Raunchy Rhythms: Depictions of Dance and the Female Gaze in Magic Mike and Dirty Dancing

Whether discreet or on the nose, the use of dance and sex are synonymous. In the instance of Dirty Dancing, dance is a tool to subtly integrate themes of love, pleasure, and relationships. Baby becomes sexually aware through her mastery of dance. In the case of Magic Mike, it is more explicitly demonstrated; The masculinity of the kings of Tampa is eroticized via strip dancing and used as a source of entertainment.