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Kenny Ortega

Kenny Ortega

Keynote Speaker: Film/TV Producer, Director & Choreographer

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Kenny Ortega Biography

Kenny Ortega began his career as an Actor at the age of 13 performing in San Francisco Bay Area theater. At 18, Kenny landed a leading role in the original San Francisco and National Touring Productions of the Musical, HAIR. In the 1980s, he became known for his stage direction and choreography of the A&M pioneer recording artists, The TUBES. It was a TUBES performance in Los Angeles that caught the attention of Cher who asked Ortega to choreograph her television special. Soon, Ortega became one of the most sought after Choreographers for the industry’s biggest musical artists, including Madonna, Fleetwod Mac, Kiss, Gloria Estefan, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Cher, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and The Pointer Sisters, to name a few. When Ortega made the transition from stage choreography to film choreography, he had the honor and privilege of working with the legendary Gene Kelly on the feature film XANADU and then again on Francis Ford Coppola’s , ONE FROM THE HEART. Kelly soon became Ortega’s mentor and taught him his technique of designing choreography for the camera.

Ortega’s other film choreography includes DIRTY DANCING, ST. ELMO’S FIRE, and following his work with John Hugh’s on PRETTY IN PINK, John made him the choreographer and 2nd Unit Director of the classic parade sequence for FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. This began his directing career. In the 1990’s, Ortega directed the musical film NEWSIES, starring Christian Bale, Robert Duvall, and Ann Margaret and feature film HOCUS POCUS, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, for the Walt Disney Company. Ortega directed many television series during the following three decades including CHICAGO HOPE, ALLY MCBEAL, and THE GILMORE GIRLS. He is also co choreographed and directed the 1996 Atlanta OLYMPIC Opening and Closing Ceremonies and both choreographed and co directed the 2002 Salt Lake Winter OLYMPIC Ceremonies and Live Broadcast.

In 2006, he directed Disney Channel’s “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL” and “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2”. “High School Musical 2” drew over 17 million viewers when it premiered making it the most watched program in cable telecast history (and still is). Together “High School Musical” 1 and 2 have been seen by over 250 million people worldwide and both movies have broken numerous sales records for their soundtracks and DVDs. Ortega received a DGA and another Emmy win for choreography. He is also the supervising producer for both of the movie’s multi-platinum soundtracks. “High School Musical” also spawned a 3-company international touring ice show of which Kenny was supervising Producer, as well as the Director of the National Arena Tour and International Stadium Tours.

In Fall of 2007, Kenny directed the fastest-selling concert tour in history, the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus “Best of Both Worlds Tour” featuring The Jonas Bros. In 2008 Kenny directed and executive produced HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR (HSM 3) for Walt Disney Motion Pictures. HSM 3 was the biggest theatrical box office opening for a musical in history. Kenny was Michael Jackson’s director and creative partner for “Dangerous”, “HIStory”, and “This Is It” World Tours. Following Jackson’s untimely passing, Kenny directed the documentary “Michael Jackson’s This Is It”. In 2014, Kenny directed and produced along with his longtime friend and associate Emilio Estefan, A CHANGE OF HEART, an independent feature shot on location in South Florida. The film stars Jim Belushi, Virginia Madsen, Kathy Najimy, William Levy, Gloria Estefan and is awaiting release. Ortega executive produced, directed, and co choreographed the Internationally Successful Action Adventure Musical Disney’s DESCENDANTS for which he was honored with his second DGA Award.

Kenny’s reimagining of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, a Fox Network Movie Event, will be premiering Halloween 2016. It stars Laverne Cox (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK) in the role of Dr. Frank N. Furter, originated by Tim Curry. Tim returns to this production playing the role of the Criminologist. Adam Lambert and Tony Award Winning Actress, Annaleigh Ashford are also featured. Currently, Kenny is excited to be filming DESCENDANTS 2 for The Disney Channel.

Among Ortega’s Awards are, three Emmys Awards, two DGA Awards from the Director’s Guild of America, a Fred & Adele Astaire’s annual Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award, a Bob Fosse Award, an American Choreography Lifetime Achievement Award, an MTV Video Music Award, American Music Award, ALMA Award, Nosotros Golden Eagle Award, Imagen Creative Achievement Award and an NAACP Award.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Kenny Ortega and other top speakers and celebrities.

Kenny Ortega Videos

Bystander Revolution: Kenny Ortega | As a Gay Man - YouTube

How do I book Kenny Ortega to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kenny Ortega for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kenny Ortega, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kenny Ortega or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Kenny Ortega for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Kenny Ortega, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kenny Ortega, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Kenny Ortega speak about?

Kenny Ortega is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Entertainers, Performing Arts, Celebrity, LGBTQ, Diversity and Television & Film.

Where does Kenny Ortega travel from?

Kenny Ortega generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Kenny Ortega?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Kenny Ortega for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kenny Ortega for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kenny Ortega or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Kenny Ortega is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Entertainers, Performing Arts and Celebrity. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Kenny Ortega generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Travis Wall, Lance Bass and Wentworth Miller. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kenny Ortega for an upcoming event.

Kenny Ortega Videos

Bystander Revolution: Kenny Ortega | As a Gay Man - YouTube
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