When Cynthia Rhodes wasn’t “Staying Alive” on the dance floor with John Travolta, she was “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze.
Rhodes, who will turn 67 in November 2023, had a great career with famous dance movies from the 1980s. However, she chose to step away from the spotlight at the height of her fame.
Keep reading to find out why this talented actress, singer, and dancer retired so early!
Cynthia Rhodes was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She started her acting career with a small role in the 1980 musical fantasy film **Xanadu**, which starred the late Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.
Her role as Tina Tech, a dancer in the 1983 film **Flashdance**, led to a bigger part later that year as John Travolta’s love interest in **Staying Alive**, the sequel to **Saturday Night Fever**, directed by Sylvester Stallone.
In 1987, she played her most famous role as Penny Johnson, a dance instructor at a resort hotel in **Dirty Dancing**.
In her role as Penny, Cynthia Rhodes shows off her amazing dance skills with graceful and flashy Mambo moves alongside the late Patrick Swayze. She also shares some very emotional and heartbreaking scenes with him.
Rhodes described her character Penny as having an “edge.” Penny both charmed and shocked viewers as she dealt with a difficult storyline involving a botched illegal abortion.
The film includes a socially relevant subplot about reproductive rights, with Rhodes at the center of it all. This helped position the three lead characters—Swayze as Johnny, Jennifer Grey as Baby, and Rhodes as Penny—for stardom.
“She’s from South Philly and she’s had a rough life,” Rhodes said about her character. “She’s got a sweetness about her, but it’s hidden because she’s been through a lot, and she has sort of put up a wall.” Rhodes added, “In the end, I think she finally realizes that life does go on.”
Life went on for Cynthia Rhodes, but not in the way her fans hoped.
After training for ten hours a day to prepare for her role as Penny, Rhodes found dancing to be “really hard.” She shared, “That’s why I keep saying I’m never going to dance again. I’m tired of dancing. My bones are hurting, and my back hurts all the time.” She added, “Every time I say, ‘That’s it, I don’t want to dance anymore,’ I get another film. I’m not going to turn down work! I feel very fortunate to be in films that involve dancing. But I just want a chance to do some dramatic work without dancing. Just give me a straight acting part.”
In the same year that *Dirty Dancing* was released, the 31-year-old Rhodes, who had many role options and admirers, appeared in the music video for “Don’t Mean Nothing” by Richard Marx. He is also known for the song “Right Here Waiting,” which was famously written for Rhodes in 1989.
In 1989, Rhodes married the Grammy Award-winning singer Richard Marx, and the couple welcomed their first child, Brandon, in 1990. They later had two more sons, Lucas in 1992 and Jesse in 1994.
According to Marx, Rhodes, who had previously trained for the Olympics, decided to retire in 1990 to focus on raising their children. He mentioned that this choice was also due to the “intense physical pain” her dance moves caused her.
“I thought, ‘This won’t last; she’s definitely going to want to come back to work and do films.’ But she found fulfillment in being a mom that completely overshadowed any desire she had to make movies,” Marx, now 59, explained. “Even if you’re her biggest fan, as good as you think she was as a dancer, singer, or actress, you should see her as a mom.”
Rhodes, who began dancing at just three years old, found that she was much happier being a mom and giving her body the rest it needed.
“The thing was, I used to never be sore. In fact, I was a gymnast. Now it’s frustrating… I never used to stretch, but now I have to stretch before I dance. I love to dance, but if I never did it again, I wouldn’t be sorry,” Rhodes said.
Since then, she hasn’t looked back. The last time she appeared on screen was in the 1991 film *Curse of the Crystal Eye.*
The former Hollywood starlet divorced Marx in 2014, and he married MTV’s first Latina host, Daisy Fuentes, the following year.
As for her sons, all three are following in the footsteps of their famous parents. Brandon is now a music producer and singer, while Lucas has made a name for himself as a singer and actor, appearing in TV series like *The Chicago Code*, *The Mob Doctor*, *Chicago P.D.*, and *Parenthood*. The youngest son, Jesse, has joined a metal band and is working on his own music.
Dancing requires a high level of athleticism, so while we miss seeing Cynthia Rhodes, we completely understand why she chose to leave Hollywood.
What are your favorite films featuring her?
Dog Stuck In A Manhole – He Was Whimpering So Hard But People Just Passed By Until A Girl Saw Him
They told us that they had seen the dog steal food from a nearby shop, and the owner of the store and raised had pushed the dog into the sewer.
Unfortunately the dog had gotten stuck there and was unable to climb out, we tried to reach the dog with ropes and sticks but it was of no use foreign.
Was too deep and the dog was too frightened to come towards us, we could hear it whimpering From Below and our hearts broke for the helpless animal after several attempts we knew that we needed more
They’re huddled in the corner was a frightened dog it was shaking uncontrollably and its eyes. After several attempts the dog finally allowed the officer to pet it, he slowly lifted the dog out of the manhole and handed it over to us.
We thanked the police officer for their help and promised to find the dog a new loving home the officers told us they would take care of the shop owner and find him for mistreating a stray animal
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A Mother Dog’s Heroic Act To Safeguard Her Puppies From A Falling Tree
Wheп it comeѕ to the pгofouпd foгce of motheгly love, oпe caппot deпy the leпgthѕ to which a motheг will go to pгotect heг offѕpгiпg.
Thiѕ tгuth iѕ paгticulaгly evideпt iп the aпimal kiпgdom, wheгe mateгпal iпѕtiпctѕ aгe paгamouпt foг ѕuгvival. A poigпaпt illuѕtгatioп of thiѕ devotioп caп be fouпd iп the accouпt of a motheг dog who made the ultimate ѕacгifice to ѕafeguaгd heг youпg iп the face of aп obѕtacle.
Aѕ the youпg pup giпgeгly made itѕ way acгoѕѕ itѕ motheг’ѕ back, the buгdeп became too much foг heг to beaг, гeпdeгiпg heг uпable to гiѕe agaiп. Deѕpite heг evideпt paiп aпd diѕcomfoгt, the motheг dog maiпtaiпed heг poѕitioп uпtil help aггived. Heг ѕelfleѕѕ act of love had pгeѕeгved heг puppy’ѕ life but had exacted a ѕubѕtaпtial toll oп heг owп well-beiпg.
Thiѕ tale ѕeгveѕ aѕ a teѕtameпt to the iпdomitable poweг of mateгпal love aпd the extгaoгdiпaгy leпgthѕ to which a motheг will go to ѕhield heг offѕpгiпg. It ѕeгveѕ aѕ a poigпaпt гemiпdeг that love tгaпѕceпdѕ bouпdaгieѕ, aпd the boпd betweeп a motheг aпd heг child iѕ uпbгeakable. The motheг dog’ѕ ѕacгifice exemplifieѕ the uпwaveгiпg love that exiѕtѕ withiп the mateгпal boпd.
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A Dog Fights A Massive Tumor, With The Vet Recommending Leg Amputation For Treatment
Rescuers in Thailand’s Phetchabun Province saw a sad homeless dog with a big tumor straining to move in agony.
She’d been suffering from this tumor for so long that no one would help her when it got too big.
It took nearly 6 hours for rescuers to bring her 455.5 kilometers from Phetchabun province to Pattaya for treatment.
A bad growth on her abdomen devastated her miserable life, and she ended up living on the streets without food.
Even though the wounds are dry, she is doing significantly better one month after a successful operation and tumor removal.
She’s starting to walk again and getting to know her three legs…
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Heartbreaking! The dog was attacked by thousands of parasites in the mouth, unable to eat or drink for many days
It’s upsetting to read about a dog being hurt by parasites, especially when it affects their ability to eat and drink. This is a common problem in many dogs, especially if they have not had adequate preventative care.
Hundreds of parasites attacking a dog’s mouth might cause рai and discomfort. These parasites can cause inflammation and infection, making it difficult for the dog to swallow or even open his mouth. In some situations, the parasites might also cause bleeding, which can complicate matters further.
If a dog cannot eat or drink for several days, it may develop an eo problem. Dogs require regular access to food and water in order to stay healthy, and prolonged starvation or dehydration can lead to a variety of health concerns. If the dog is not treated, it will become weak and malnourished, making it more difficult to battle parasites and other ailments.
If you feel your dog has a parasite infection, you should seek veterinary care as soon as possible. A veterinarian can do a thorough examination and offer the necessary therapy to restore your dog’s health.
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