Descendants of dance
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Descendants of dance

Life chats with Kenny Ortega, the director of Disney Channel's latest original movie, before its Thailand premiere this Sunday

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, Dove Cameron and Cameron Boyce as the children of The Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent and Cruella de Vil.
Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, Dove Cameron and Cameron Boyce as the children of The Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent and Cruella de Vil.

Kenny Ortega has another hit on his hands. If there's a movie featuring dancing, then we tend to think of this acclaimed American director, producer and choreographer. Ortega is behind various cult musical phenomena that different generations of teens have grown up with, from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, Michael Jackson's This Is It concerts, to the globally-embraced High School Musical trilogy.

In the latest Disney Channel original movie that Ortega has directed, The Descendants (premiers this Sunday) the exiled children of Disney villains find themselves invited to attend a prep school alongside the sons and daughters of legendary characters such as Belle, Mulan and even Dopey, from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

As expected, this modernised twist on Disney's legacies, complete with its song and dance package, is already garnering a mass following with its soundtrack that topped the Billboard charts in August. Over the phone, the 65-year-old director, also a Disney fan himself who grew up loving Peter Pan and the idea of being a boy forever, sounds as chipper as the films he directs. Life asks him about what to look forward to, Disney's latest teen royalty and working with the industries' biggest stars.

What makes The Descendants different from other Disney channel movies?

This is not a story that's been told before and I think it's an original take on 'once upon a now'. This movie begins 20 years after 'happily ever after'. We're getting to visit characters that are beloved heritage fairy characters, both good and evil, and we're giving birth to brand new teenage characters that are their descendants. Who they are going to be, how they will look and what kind of story they will stir up. We have something here that takes from the classics -- a part is recognisable, while another is fresh and brand new. I thought it was a really great concept when I first read it. I was 10 pages in and was like, 'Whoa! Why didn't anyone think of this before and how lucky I am to be the one reading it!'. Being able to play with characters I grew up with and also to be part of developing brand new characters for a new generation was a huge excitement for me.

What do you hope viewers will get besides catchy songs and really great moves?

I hope people are entertained. There's lots of action, adventure, romance. It's whimsical and full of good humour, classic references and some of the performances are just dazzling. I'm also hoping that young people and adults watching will appreciate that woven throughout are wonderful themes about choices, building one's confidence, believing in yourself, and that choices we make in life determine who we become -- most of us are lucky enough to be able to make choices and those choices are really important.

What's the cast like?

Some we've seen before -- Dove Cameron stars on Disney channel, while Booboo Stewart was part of the Twilight and X-Men franchise. As for adults, we have Kristin Chenowith, an Emmy and Tony award-winning actress and singer. There's also Kathy Najimy, who I did Hocus Pocus with 20 years ago. It's made up of a wonderful balance and blend of newcomers and recognisable, experienced and first class pros. We scoured the planet to find the right young teenagers. We looked in Australia, Great Britain, Canada and all over the US -- we really searched and took our time. Kids who came not only have the talent but are brave, courageous, smart and inspired. I believe they have a real sense of the work, are going to bring something and be like junior partners in the journey. These kids brought so much to work every day and they're real thinkers who aren't afraid of trying new things or embarrassing themselves. I had that throughout working on High School Musical with Zac, Vanessa, Corbin and that entire ensemble. It's refreshing, fun and exciting.

Are there any new challenges in making movies for a new generation of kids? 

When we made High School Musical, life was a whole different thing -- we didn't have any of the trending, texting, Instagramming, Facebooking or tweeting. There are now so many different places that one can go to find entertainment whether it's downloading or listening to music on your computer, iPad, phone or games. There are lots more choices, so how do you attract people? Times have changed and it was so much easier to find an audience and to engage them than it is now. All you can do is go for it and everybody just does their best, then you put it out there and hope people are going to find it. And not only find it, but like it and tell someone else about it. Or hopefully, they'll come back again and in our case, again and again is what they seem to be doing. 

You've worn many hats in the entertainment industry. Which one holds the biggest place in your heart? 

I've always loved it all and it's always gotten me in trouble. I had a manager say to me, 'You want to act, dance, sing, choreograph, direct -- you wanna do too many things!'. I love theatre, concert shows, movies and working on the small screen, and I've spent all my life working hard so I could work in those arenas at some point and at some level. Maybe a dancer because that's where I started. My mother said I ran into the middle of a dance floor at a dancing school with all girls and just started dancing, when I was there to watch my cousin. I still love getting to the mirror, working with movement, telling stories through choreography, working with dancers and auditioning dancers. At the end of the day, I really would just say dancing is this significant love that I have.

What was it like to work with legends like Michael Jackson and Gene Kelly?

Life altering. The university of Gene Kelly and MJ. He was younger than I, yet a mentor. Everything out of that guy was just inspiring -- what a take he had on performance. He had so much respect for the stage and the art of performance. He was a really amazing man of great theatre and music. Both of those guys and others, who might not necessarily have the legendary names or careers, have been my saving grace. What would I be doing today had my life not crossed paths with these really special people? They're my mentors, my teachers, my friends, my partners and my inspiration.


The Descendants

premieres on Sept 13 on the Disney Channel (447) at 10am. 

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