Among the nostalgia, many are wondering: what became of Cynthia Rhodes, the actress who portrayed Penny? Her portrayal of the resilient dance instructor broke ground with its bold storyline, tackling the topic of a botched abortion.

Reflecting on her iconic role, Cynthia once remarked, “She’s got an edge to her… a sweetness tinged with toughness, a result of the hard times she’s endured, which led her to build walls around herself.”

While Dirty Dancing remains Cynthia’s most prominent role, her filmography spans beyond that milestone. Before stepping into Penny’s shoes, the now 60-year-old Nashville native appeared in films like Xanadu and Flashdance. Notably, she played John Travolta’s love interest in the 1983 movie Staying Alive. Her final screen credit came in the 1991 action-adventure Curse of the Crystal Eye.

In the years following her departure from Hollywood, Cynthia kept a low profile, focusing on raising her three sons after tying the knot with singer-songwriter Richard Marx in 1989. The couple parted ways in 2014.

Despite her quiet life post-acting, Cynthia has always cherished her time on set, particularly her experiences working with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. “Patrick is a trained dancer,” she fondly recalled, “and while he’s known for his acting, his dancing prowess often went overlooked. But he amazed me. And Jennifer… she’s a natural, a dedicated worker.”