Kenny Ortega facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenny Ortega
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Ortega in 2019
|
|
| Born |
Kenneth John Ortega
April 18, 1950 Palo Alto, California, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Director Producer Choreographer Concert Creator |
| Years active | 1970–present |
|
Notable work
|
Newsies Hocus Pocus High School Musical Trilogy Michael Jackson's This Is It Descendants Julie and the Phantoms |
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography (2006) Hollywood Walk of Fame (2019) Disney Legends Hall of Fame (2019) |
Kenneth John Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American director, producer, and choreographer. He is also known for creating concert tours. He is famous for his work with Disney Channel. This includes the High School Musical movies and the first three Descendants films. He also directed popular movies like Newsies and Hocus Pocus.
Ortega has choreographed many famous 1980s films. Some of these are Xanadu, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Dirty Dancing. He has also worked on music videos and concert tours for big stars. These include KISS, Olivia Newton-John, Cher, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, and Michael Jackson. He directed the movie Michael Jackson's This Is It. In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also honored with a Disney Legend Award.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Kenny Ortega was born in Palo Alto, California. His parents were also born there. His grandparents came from Spain. He went to Sequoia High School. There, he was a cheerleader and part of the drama club.
Ortega started his career as an actor. He performed in plays like Oliver! and Hair. Later, he became interested in choreography and directing. He choreographed for a band called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. He then toured with the band The Tubes for ten years. After that, he worked with famous singers like Cher and KISS.
Directing and Choreography Career
In 1980, Ortega became a choreographer for the movie Xanadu. He worked with the legendary dancer Gene Kelly. Kelly helped him learn about choreographing for movies. Ortega also choreographed many films for director John Hughes. These included Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He also choreographed the 1987 hit movie Dirty Dancing.
Ortega also choreographed music videos for popular songs. These included "Material Girl" by Madonna and "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John.
Making Movies for Disney
In 1992, Kenny Ortega directed his first movie, the Disney musical Newsies. The next year, he directed Hocus Pocus. Both movies became very popular over time.
Ortega also worked with Michael Jackson to create and design his world tours. These included the Dangerous World Tour (1992–1993) and the HIStory World Tour (1996–1997). He also choreographed big events like the Super Bowl XXX and the Olympic Games. He worked on the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
In 2006, Ortega directed and choreographed two Disney Channel Original Movies. These were High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls 2. He returned to direct and choreograph High School Musical 2 in 2007. He also directed High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008.
Working with Michael Jackson Again
In 2009, Ortega started directing and choreographing Michael Jackson's "This Is It" concerts. These were planned for London. After the concerts were cancelled, Ortega directed a public memorial for Michael Jackson. It was watched by millions of people around the world. Ortega also directed the concert film Michael Jackson's This Is It. This movie was made from rehearsal footage.
Recent Projects and Awards
In 2014, Ortega was a guest judge on the TV show Dancing with the Stars.
In 2015, Ortega directed and choreographed Descendants for the Disney Channel. This movie was about the children of famous Disney Villains. He also directed the sequels, Descendants 2 in 2017 and Descendants 3 in 2019.
In 2019, Kenny Ortega received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also named a Disney Legend at the D23 Expo.
In 2020, he directed and produced the Netflix series Julie and the Phantoms.
Filmography and Concerts
Film Work
| Year | Title | Choreographer | Director | Producer | Rotten Tomatoes | Budget | Box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Xanadu | Yes | No | No | 39% | $20 million | US$22.7 million |
| 1982 | One from the Heart | Yes | No | No | 48% | $26 million | $0.6 million |
| 1985 | St. Elmo's Fire | Yes | No | No | 47% | $10 million | $37.8 million |
| 1986 | Pretty in Pink | Yes | No | No | 81% | $9 million | $40.4 million |
| 1986 | Ferris Bueller's Day Off | Yes | Second unit | No | 79% | $6 million | $70.1 million |
| 1987 | Dirty Dancing | Yes | No | No | 72% | $5 million | $213.9 million |
| 1988 | Salsa | Yes | No | No | 50% | $6 million | $8.8 million |
| 1989 | Shag | Yes | No | No | 64% | $5 million | $6.9 million |
| 1992 | Newsies | Yes | Yes | No | 30% | $15 million | $2.8 million |
| 1993 | Hocus Pocus | Yes | Yes | No | 32% | $28 million | $39.5 million |
| 1995 | To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar | Yes | No | No | 42% | N/A | $47.7 million |
| 1998 | Quest for Camelot | Yes | No | No | 36% | $40 million | $22.5 million |
| 2008 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | Yes | Yes | Executive | 65% | $11 million | $252.9 million |
| 2009 | Michael Jackson's This Is It | Yes | Yes | Yes | 81% | $60 million | $261.1 million |
| 2017 | A Change of Heart | No | Yes | No | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Television Work
| Year | Title | Choreographer | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Dirty Dancing | No | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Hull High | Yes | Yes | Executive | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Second Noah | No | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| 1998–1999 | Chicago Hope | No | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Resurrection Blvd. | No | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Grounded for Life | No | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| 2001–2002 | Ally McBeal | No | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
| 2002–2006 | Gilmore Girls | No | Yes | No | 11 episodes |
| 2006 | High School Musical | Yes | Yes | No | Television movie |
| 2006 | The Cheetah Girls 2 | Yes | Yes | No | Television movie |
| 2007 | High School Musical 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Television movie |
| 2011 | Phineas and Ferb | No | No | No | 1 Episode Cameo as Himself |
| 2012 | Bunheads | No | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Descendants | Yes | Yes | Executive | Television movie |
| 2016 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | No | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| 2016 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again | Yes | Yes | No | Television movie |
| 2017 | Descendants 2 | Yes | Yes | Executive | Television movie |
| 2018 | Andi Mack | No | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Descendants 3 | Yes | Yes | Executive | Television movie |
| 2020 | Julie and the Phantoms | Yes | Yes | Executive | Netflix series |
Concert Tours
| Year | Title | Choreographer | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1990 | Cher's Heart of Stone Tour | No | Yes | No | |
| 1991–1992 | Gloria Estefan's Into The Light World Tour | Yes | No | No | |
| 1992–1993 | Michael Jackson's Dangerous World Tour | No | Yes | No | |
| 1996–1997 | Gloria Estefan's Evolution World Tour | Yes | No | No | |
| 1996–1997 | Michael Jackson's HIStory World Tour | No | Yes | No | |
| 2003 | Gloria Estefan's Live & Unwrapped | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2004 | Gloria Estefan's Live & Re-Wrapped Tour | Yes | No | No | |
| 2006 | The Boy from Oz | Yes | Yes | No | Australian arena tour |
| 2006–2007 | High School Musical: The Concert | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007–2008 | Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Tour | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2009–2010 (cancelled) | Michael Jackson's This Is It | Yes | Yes | No |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work / nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Choreography | Grounded for Life | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Outstanding Choreography (shared with Doug Jack and Sarah Kawahara) | Opening Ceremony Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games | Won | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series (shared with Bucky Gunts and Ron de Moraes) | Won | ||||
| 2006 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs | High School Musical | Won | |
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Choreography (shared with Charles Klapow and Bonnie Story) | High School Musical | Won | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special | Nominated | ||||
| 2007 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs | High School Musical 2 | Nominated | |
| Helpmann Awards | Best Choreography in a Musical (shared with Kelley Abbey) | The Boy from Oz | Won | ||
| 2008 | ALMA Award | Outstanding Director of a Made-for-TV Movie | High School Musical 2 | Won | |
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Choreography (shared with Charles Klapow and Bonnie Story) | High School Musical 2 | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | National Association of Latino Independent Producers | Outstanding Achievement Award | Kenny Ortega | Won | |
| Young Artist Award | Jackie Coogan Award – Contribution to Youth | High School Musical | Won | ||
| 2015 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs | Descendants | Won |
See also
In Spanish: Kenny Ortega para niños
