Kirby Burgess is having the time of her life in Dirty Dancing

"I thought it was a naughty video so I didn't want to ask my parents to watch it," she said.

"So when they were at work I watched it without them knowing and I discovered this cult film that wasn't as dirty as I thought it was going to be."

As a dancer, the young Burgess instantly connected with the film.

"It was the first time I realised what it was like to fall in love. And it is told through dance, and I was already in that world," she said.

So it's fitting that her first starring role is as Baby Houseman, in the new stage production of Dirty Dancing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

While she was born in Sydney, Burgess grew up in Batemans Bay after her family moved there when she was three.

"Dad moved for work basically and when we moved to Batemans Bay it was a one shop town," she said.

"We had to travel to Ulladulla to shop, it was so tiny, which is funny because now it's such a tourist destination."

After graduating high school, Burgess moved back to Sydney to study dance and singing.She performed in a number of supporting roles before landing the role of Baby.

Burgess stars opposite Kurt Phelan, who plays dance teacher Johnny Castle, famously originally played by Patrick Swayze in the 1987 hit movie.

Unlike regular stage musicals, Dirty Dancing leaves the main characters to tell the story through dance, while supporting actors provide the vocals, including previous Australia's Got Talent winner and classical music singer Mark Vincent in his musical theatre debut.

"I saw the original stage show 10 years ago so I knew the leads wouldn't sing," she said.

"Because Kurt and I are both singers it felt strange but once I got into the story and crux of the characters, I'm happy they don't sing."

"As much as people wanted us to sing, I'm happy the leads are just telling the story that everyone came to see.

``They're being true to the film."

Dirty Dancing is on at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until February 8.