Kenny Ortega’s work as a director, choreographer, and producer is
known and loved by millions around the world—The Quintessential
Music Man. Variety Magazine’s “Billion Dollar Maestro” has touched
every continent and inspired hundreds of artists to follow in his
dance steps. Kenny moved into film and television from a
massively successful music video career, working with artists like
Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Miami Sound Machine,
Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, and
The Pointer Sisters, to list a few. Kenny was also the artistic
director and performer in the A&M Recording artist, The Tubes,
who were pioneers of emerging musical rock and theater.
As a director in film, television, theater, concerts, and special
events, Kenny has had a career that spans five decades and has
been the recipient of many awards, including three Emmy awards
as a director and choreographer. In 2020, he was honored with a
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received Disney’s highest
accolade: the prestigious Disney Legends Award.
Kenny served as Michael Jackson’s creative partner and concert director/supervising choreographer for
more than two decades. He has also worked with top artists including Oscar winners Barbra Streisand,
Cher, Robert Duvall, Christian Bale, and a stable of internationally known artists that include Bette Midler,
Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton-John, Patrick Swayze, Mick Jagger, along with discovering Zac Efron and
helming Disney’s High School Musical franchise—one of the most successful franchises in television
history and the first Television Movie Soundtrack to hit #1 on the Billboard charts. High School Musical
was the biggest box office opening in Hollywood motion picture history.
Kenny began his work in film and television as Gene Kelly’s protégé, studying under his masterful
tutelage, where he learned Mr. Kelly’s art of designing choreography for the camera. Kenny’s first film
directorial was directing and choreographing the Twist and Shout Parade Sequence for the motion
picture, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Some of Kenny’s works throughout his long and illustrious career in film and television include the
award-winning feature documentary “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” “Newsies,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Dirty
Dancing,” two American Olympic Opening/Closing Ceremonies, a World Cup Ceremonies, and a number
of Super Bowl Halftime Shows. Steve Wynn and WET Design also called upon Kenny to choreograph the
iconic Las Vegas Bellagio Fountains for the world premiere opening of The Bellagio Hotel. The Fountains
have become Las Vegas’ #1 destination and are hailed as the greatest public entertainment on the planet.
Kenny’s Disney Channel franchise, Descendants, premiered to record numbers, and his Netflix series,
Julie and The Phantoms, won 3 Emmys and premiered in the Top 10 on Netflix, with its soundtrack
reaching #1 on iTunes in the first weeks of release.
Ortega has been the recipient of three Emmy Awards, two Directors Guild of America Awards, The Fred &
Adele Astaire Lifetime Achievement Award, Bob Fosse Award, American Choreography Lifetime
Achievement Award, MTV Video Music and Movie Award, American Music Award, Billboard Award, ALMA
Award, Nosotros Golden Eagle Award, Imagen Creative Achievement Award, NAACP Award, Helpmann
Award (Australia’s equivalent to the Tony) as well as a number of others.
He is currently living bicoastally, developing theatrical works in New York and Film and TV in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES 
