Photo: nagi usano from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Kenny Ortega is the secret architect behind so many moments that defined pop culture dance. Long before he became Disney's musical-movie king, he was choreographing Dirty Dancing, so the man's fingerprints are on the most iconic lift in film history. High School Musical turned a whole generation into amateur choreographers, and that's no accident; he understands how to make movement feel joyous and accessible rather than intimidating. Directing This Is It gave him a poignant final collaboration with Michael Jackson. The Disney Legend honor was overdue. He's proof that choreographers can absolutely command the director's chair.
Overview
Kenny Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American director, producer and choreographer. He choreographed films such as Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller's Day Off before becoming a director, helming the cult musical Newsies and the wildly popular High School Musical franchise and Descendants series for Disney. He directed Michael Jackson's This Is It and was named a Disney Legend in 2019.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kenny Ortega
- Name (Japanese)
- ケニー・オルテガ
- Reading
- けにー・おるてが
- Born
- April 18, 1950 (age 76)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Tiger
- Origin
- Palo Alto, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Film director / Choreographer / Actor / Television actor / Film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Directors Guild of America Award
- 2002 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- American Choreography Award
- 2019 Disney Legend
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | This Is It | — | Unknown |
6. Links
Film director — see all → · Choreographer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.