Flashdance - Plot

Plot

Alexandra "Alex" Owens (Jennifer Beals) is an eighteen year-old welder at a steel mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who lives with her dog Grunt in a converted warehouse. Although she aspires to become a professional dancer, she has no formal education, and satisfies her desire by working as an exotic dancer at Mawby's, a neighborhood bar and grill which hosts a nightly cabaret. Lacking a biological family, Alex forms bonds with her fellow coworkers at Mawby's, all of whom aspire to greater artistic achievements — Jeanie, a waitress, is training to be a figure skater, while her boyfriend, short-order cook Richie, performs as the in-house comic. One night, Alex catches the eye of regular Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), the owner of the steel mill where she works. After learning that Alex is one of his employees, Nick begins to pursue her on the job, though Alex repeatedly turns down his advances. Alex is also approached by Johnny C. (Lee Ving), the owner of a nearby strip club, who wants to convert Alex's routines into strip numbers.

After seeking counsel from her mentor and teacher Hanna Long (Lilia Skala), a retired ballerina, Alex attempts to apply to the (fictional) Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory. Alex becomes intimidated by the scope of the application process, which includes a résumé listing all dance experience and education; she leaves without applying and later lies to Hanna about it.

Leaving Mawby's one evening, Richie and Alex are assaulted by Johnny C. and his bodyguard, Cecil, in retribution for Alex's refusal to work at Zanzibar. Nick intervenes, and after taking Alex home, the two begin a relationship.

Alex attends a skating competition in which Jeanie is competing. After Jeanie falls twice during the competition, she sits defeated on the ice and has to be helped away. Feeling that she will never achieve her dreams, Jeanie begins dating Johnny C. and ultimately agrees to go to work for him as one of his strippers. Alex goes to see her and makes her confront that she has exchanged her dreams for money and degradation.

After seeing Nick with a woman at the ballet one night, Alex vandalizes his house, only to discover that it was his ex-wife (Belinda Bauer). Alex and Nick reconcile, after which Nick uses his favor with the Pittsburgh arts council to get Alex an audition for the Conservatory. At first, Alex is furious with Nick, since she did not get the audition based on her own merit, but eventually decides to go through with the audition.

At the audition, Alex initially falters, but asks if she can start over. The board permits her to begin again and she successfully completes a dance number composed of her various dance routines from Mawby's and the various styles of dance she has studied. The board responds favorably, although the audience does not learn of their decision. The film ends with a smiling Alex emerging from the Conservatory to find Nick waiting for her with a bouquet of red roses.