From starting out as a dancer in touring productions of Hair to choreographing music videos for Madonna and Elton John, stadium tours for Michael Jackson, and the iconic "Twist and Shout" sequence in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Kenny Ortega was shaping pop culture for a decade before Disney ever picked up the phone. When they finally did in 1988, it kicked off a 30-year partnership that would define childhoods for millions.
What makes Ortega different is that he was never just a company man. He brought rock tours, Olympic ceremonies, and fountain choreography from the Vegas strip into everything he made for Disney.
0:00 – Ferris Bueller, 80s Cinema, and Kenny Ortega’s Start
1:07 – Kenny Ortega’s Origins and Joining The Tubes
2:04 – Working with The Tubes & The “Xanadu” Experience
4:40 – Mentorship from Gene Kelly & MTV Era Success
6:08 – 80s Choreography: From “Ferris Bueller” to Disney Specials
7:22 – Disney’s 80s TV Projects and “Hull High”
9:44 – Newsies: Disney Returns to Live-Action Musicals
11:22 – “Hocus Pocus” and Kenny’s Early Disney Films
13:09 – Michael Jackson, Olympics, & Major Live Shows
14:56 – The High School Musical & Descendants Disney Channel Era
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