Kenny Ortega

Kenneth John Ortega was born on April 18, 1950 in Palo Alto, California, the son of Madeline, a waitress, and Octavio “Tibby” Ortega, a factory worker of Spanish descent. He grew up with a sister, Debra, and a brother, Mark, and attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City, where he cheer‑led and performed in drama. After early acting stints in touring productions of Oliver! and Hair, Ortega pivoted to choreography, first gaining recognition with The Tubes and later working for Cher, KISS, and the Oingo Boingo mystics in the 1970s. His breakthrough into film arrived when Gene Kelly mentored him on Xanadu (1980), leading to a prolific run as a choreographer on John Hughes classics such as Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and the iconic Dirty Dancing (1987). Ortega also crafted memorable music‑video routines for Madonna’s “Material Girl”, Olivia Newton‑John’s “Physical”, and Styx’s “Mr. Roboto”, while controversially directing Billy Squier’s “Rock Me Tonite”. By the early 1990s he transitioned to directing, debuting with Disney’s musical Newsies (1992) and the cult favorite Hocus Pocus (1993), both of which later achieved devoted fanbases despite modest box‑office returns.