(Dirty) Dancing With The Demos: Epic Dance Contest Honors '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life’ Rebirth

Dec. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- NEW YORK – With two new versions of “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE” battling each other toward the top of the charts this holiday season, the man who brought home the Academy Award and Golden Globe for co-writing the song that defined DIRTY DANCING today announced the launch of DANCING WITH THE DEMOS, an unprecedented charity dance contest that will excite and engage the millions of worldwide fans of the movie and its music while helping to battle pancreas cancer in Patrick Swayze’s memory.

Inspired by Jennifer Grey’s courageous Dancing with the Stars season victory, Franke Previte has created DANCING WITH THE DEMOS to return the spotlight to his original demo recording of “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE,” which initially launched the phenomenon 23 years ago, when Patrick and Jennifer actually danced to that track to film the movie’s iconic finale. The competition welcomes fans to show off their moves and record their own video “dirty” dancing to that same original demo recording in creative ways which stay true to the spirit of the film. Contestants will post their videos to the official DANCING WITH THE DEMOS YouTube site at www.youtube.com/dirtydancingdemos as they compete for prizes that will bring the top winners to the actual locations where the phenomenon began.

The sudden pop culture resurgence of “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE” and all things DIRTY DANCING has reached a level of impact not seen since the low budget movie beat all odds to make pop culture history in 1987. In an unusual – and perhaps unprecedented – industry coincidence, two new versions of the classic Oscar-winning theme to the 1987 box office smash romance appear on two of the holiday season’s most hotly anticipated new albums, currently at #5 and #6, respectively, on the Billboard 200 in only their second week of release. “The Time (The Dirty Bit),” the first single from the new BLACK EYED PEAS album The Beginning and built around the unforgettable chorus of “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE,” is currently at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in the top 10 of four Billboard charts overall.  On the iTunes charts, the Peas version is #3 in the U.S. and #1in six other countries. The GLEE version debuts at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 while hitting Top 40 on two other Billboard charts, and landing at No. 8 at iTunes on the U.S. Soundtrack chart and in the iTunes Top 10 in 15 other countries. Amid all this chart action, Sandals Resorts has just renewed its contract to continue using the song in their commercial spots for years to come.

Previte hasn’t witnessed so much incredible momentum surrounding “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE” since the film’s original theatrical release. And with the holiday season upon us, what better time than now, he reasons, to build a charity contest around his original demo recording. The original demo recording of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” and other Previte-penned “Dirty Dancing” demos are available at iTunes and all major digital download destinations. Proceeds from all download purchases support the Patrick Swayze Pancreas Cancer Research Fund at Stanford.

The contest begins immediately and continues through Feb. 28, 2011. Previte will be choosing the winners for prizes such as:

•   A stay at the Rumbling Bald Resort in Lake Lure, NC (the filming location that includes the lake from the famous 'lift scene') during the 2011 Dirty Dancing Festival.

•   A stay at Mountain Lake Resort (the filming location of Kellerman’s) in Pembroke, VA during Dirty Dancing Weekend.

•   Souvenir merchandise packages to include autographed copies of the commemorative CD of THE ORIGINAL DEMOS, the new DIRTY DANCING “Keepsake Edition” DVD, official “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life: The Original Demos” t-shirts, hats and more!

“The gift of giving always feels better when the cause is great,” says Previte. “So when you purchase the ‘Dirty Dancing Demos,’ know that this is helping the Patrick Swayze cancer fund and ‘Dance, Dance, Dance!’ ... And who knows? Maybe I'll see you at one of these prize sites.”

Official rules are posted at www.dirtydancingdemos.com. Sponsors include the Rumbling Bald Resort, Mountain Lake Hotel & Conservancy, Dirty Dancing Festival at Lake Lure, and Randex Communications.

Sample all ORIGINAL DEMO tracks at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dirtydancing.

Learn more about the Patrick Swayze Pancreas Cancer Research Fund at http://med.stanford.edu/cancer/features/research_news/Pat...

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