MoveTVnetwork Presents: Episode #35 Kenny Ortega on... Transitioning from choreographer to director... Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.
Comments
I WILL WORK WITH HIM! I WILL WORK WITH HIM! I WILL WORK WITH HIM! IT CAN HAPPEN! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN! lol Love him!!! period!!!
Mr. Ortega is THE American Director/Choreographer of the turn of the century... There is no one better at telling a story with dance movement, sound and scene... His work has taken us all to new places and deeper experiences!!
HE IS AMAZING!!!!!! MY IDOL..
In May 2009, Ortega began work on the scheduled Michael Jackson 50-date This Is It concert tour, which was cancelled subsequent to Jackson's sudden death. He directed the concert film Michael Jackson's This Is It which was put together from rehearsal footage recorded at the Los Angeles Forum and the Staples Center. The film was released on October 28.
Ortega directed the Michael Jackson Public Memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which was broadcast live on several networks on July 7, 2009. It reached a television audience of 31 million in America, and more than 1 billion worldwide and via the internet. At the end of the service, he introduced a rendition of Jackson's 1985 charity single "We Are the World" created for the This Is It concerts, featuring Jackson's backing singers on lead vocals with his dancers performing around them.
He was set to direct the 2011 Footloose remake, but dropped out in October 2009. Ortega is now set to direct the upcoming movie adaptation of the Broadway musical In the Heights.
On August 9, 2011, it was announced that Ortega will direct the remake of Dirty Dancing, which he choreographed in 1987. Lionsgate Films has yet to announce the release date.
Kenny Ortega's Social Media Links:
IMDB
Twitter Blog
Wikipedia
Photos
Ortega was born in Palo Alto, California, the son of Madeline, a waitress, and Octavio (Tibby) Ortega, a factory worker from Redwood City. His grandparents were from Spain. Initially known for working with dancer and choreographer Gene Kelly on the film Xanadu, Ortega went on to choreographing the dance for the Menudo video "Hold Me", as well as the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, and has won awards for choreography in music videos, such asMadonna's "Material Girl".
In addition, Ortega has directed and choreographed High School Musical, High School Musical 2, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and was choreographer of the The Cheetah Girls 2.