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Patrick Swayze (R) and Jennifer Grey are shown in a scene from the 1987 film "Dirty Dancing" in this publicity photo for Lionsgate Home Entertainmentês Dirty Dancing 20th Anniversary Edition.

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'Dirty Dancing' hotel goes up in flames

A fire that broke out in the Catskill mountains, 85 miles away from New York City, has destroyed a Grandview condominium complex, formerly known as the Brown's Hotel, that inspired the popular 1987 hit Dirty Dancing.

Kellerman's resort, where Johnny Castle taught Baby Houseman to dance, was based on Brown's Hotel, which had been standing since 1944. Many comedians, including Jerry Lewis, performed at Brown's, but after business declined in the 1980s, the resort was sold and converted into condos.

But big girls shouldn't starting crying just yet.

While this fallen Catskills resort may have inspired screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein, most of the movie was filmed in two other locations: Mountain Lake in Virginia for the exterior and cabin scenes, while the famous lake scene was filmed at Lake Lure in North Carolina.

That a bit of film history has perished is devastating, especially for residents displaced by the flames. But renewed interest in the cult classic may spur interest in the upcoming remake (scheduled for release in July, 2013) as well as spark a tourism boom for Mountain Lake, which hosts several Dirty Dancing weekends throughout the year.

Pop culture and tourism often go hand and hand: Take the The Stanley Hotel, for example, which cashed in on the success of Stephen King's psylogical horror The Shining, or Henry River Mill Village, an abandoned mill town in North Carolina which is the setting for District 12 in the smash The Hunger Games. Since the movie's release, it's seen a major surge in tourism.

For those die-hard Dirty Dancing fans who want to relive the glory days, Mountain Lake's activities includes karaoke, trivia games, dance lessons and of course - lots of dirty dancing. (Not sure if there will be any watermelon carrying, however, although they may expect you to have the time of your life). To find out more about the weekend, which includes a fun promo video of tourists re-enacting scenes, click here.

An entrepreneur's guide to start-ups...and dating?

Paul Brown, the co-author of ' Just Start: Take Action; Embrace Uncertainty and Create the Future,' says his new book is about dealing with uncertainty as entrepreneurs.

"It's about what you should do, when you don't know what do. And it works in all situations," he said in a Forbes article. That's all situations: including dating, he adds.

"After all, if you think about it, trying to find someone with whom to have a relationship is just another example of heading into the unknown."

Essentially entrepreneurs approach uncertainty the same way, no matter what the situation (even if it's trying to find Mr. or Ms. Right):

  1. They figure out what they want.
  2. They take a small step toward it.
  3. The pause to see what they learned from taking that step.
  4. They build off what they learn.
  5. And then they repeat the cycle all over again and the process repeats again.

EVENTS AND KEY DATES

AWE's conference

Alberta's Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is holding its annual conference on May 3 and May 4 at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton. The aim of the conference is to help female entrepreneurs learn how to grow their businesses and expand profitability through connections to elite networks and markets. The conference includes expert panels and workshops, entrepreneurial success stories, and inspirational keynote speakers. For more information, click here.

Small Business Summit: Calgary

The Small Business Summit is just a week away. The event by Achilles Media in partnership with The Globe and Mail's Report on Small Business, takes place on April 25 in Calgary. To check out the full lineup for the day, including speakers, workshops, networking, other opportunities and registration, click here.

EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS

Cirque du Soleil, Francis Ford Coppola help put creativity in conference

Upcoming CT-MTL aims to be timely and innovative, with the help of social media, big-name speakers and industry-leading creative partners.

FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES

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