Patrick Swayze Hangs Up His ‘Dirty Dancing’ Shoes

A few hundred shrieking Patrick Swayze fans crammed Planet Hollywood at South Coast Plaza Village on Tuesday night to watch the star surrender his Size 9 1/2 “Dirty Dancing� shoes to the restaurant’s movie-memorabilia wall of fame.

Waiting for Swayze

Fans chomped gum, guzzled beer, tapped their fingers, flicked their tresses, rehearsed screams and eyed excerpts from “Dirty Dancing� while waiting for the star to be limoed from John Wayne Airport to the restaurant. He was 45 minutes late.

Dancing Shoes

“These shoes are hard to part with; I will only part with them if you let me come see them once in a while,� Swayze, 38, told his screaming fans during the ceremony. “A lot of time, pain and energy went into these shoes to make something special.�

Said his leather-clad wife, platinum blond actress/dancer Lisa Niemi: “For Patrick to part with these shoes is something else. These shoes mean more to him than any other pair he has ever owned.�

The Truth About Dirty Dancing

Do the married-for-17-years couple do their share of, ahem, dirty dancing? (You know--that sensuous, hip-grinding movement that makes a couple look like they’ve been dipped in Krazy Glue.)

“We don’t get to dance much,� Niemi said at the private, post-ceremony party held on the mezzanine. “When we get on a dance floor in a public place, suddenly we’re on display. It’s impossible to cut loose and really enjoy ourselves.� (The couple will co-star next year in the movie “Without a Word.�)

Is it a difficult dance movement to learn? “Not at all,� Niemi said. “The thing that’s difficult is to look as good as Patrick does when he does it. Not many people can do that.�

Said a humble Swayze: “You just have to work hard, real hard.�

Embarrassing Moment

He kissed them, hugged them, thanked them, even posed with them for pictures--but do you think his fans could give him a break when he popped into the mezzanine elevator for a ride to the men’s room? Not. They jumped in beside him, begging for more.

Those keeping their respectful distance were glad Swayze would have a moment of peace when the elevator door closed.

But it was not to be. The elevator was stuck with the door wide open. So, the star of “Ghost� and “City of Joy� stood there, looking sheepish, waiting . But nothing worked.

What to do? Rejoin the crowd and kiss them, hug them, thank them, pose with them for pictures. To heck with nature.

Quote

Does party-goer Ted Segerstrom dirty dance? “Only in my dreams.� And his wife, Peggy? “Only in his dreams.�