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Kenny Ortega didn’t just choreograph Disney Channel musicals, he conducted them with military precision. Join us as we celebrate the dance scenes that turned cafeterias, baseball diamonds, pirate ships, and prom nights into high-energy spectacles. From swaggering villains to unforgettable ensemble numbers, these performances show off the director’s signature command, creativity, and can’t-look-away style.
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00:00We love it, come on, sit up, and now our time is here, it's party time.
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Disney Channel dance numbers
00:13that prove that when it comes to musical command, nobody ran a tighter, more exhilarating ship
00:18than legendary director and choreographer Kenny Ortega.
00:22We love it, we love it, we love it, we love it, we love it, we love it, we love
00:28it, that's what keeps us tight.
00:29Number 10. What's My Name, Descendants 2.
00:33Chyna Ann McClain does not exactly arrive quietly in What's My Name.
00:37It's harder to disrespect, we won't stop till we rule the world, it's outside, we are next.
00:43Our tail's about to be set, there ain't nothing yet.
00:47She steps onto that pirate ship like she already owns the place,
00:51and the choreography makes sure everyone else gets the message.
00:54Low rolls, sharp arm movements, chest pops, and attitude give Uma and her crew a movement style that feels distinctly
01:01their own.
01:02What's my name, what's my name, say it louder.
01:06What's my name, what's my name, feel the power.
01:10Then, there's the setting.
01:12The dancers have to work with the furniture like it's part of the crew.
01:15That adds another layer to the choreography, demanding tight spacing and physical control.
01:21Ortega turns the ship into something resembling a moving formation, but the performers never look stiff.
01:27They look dangerous, confident, and completely ready to mutiny.
01:37Number 9. A Night to Remember.
01:40High School Musical 3, Senior Year.
01:42Prom Night has officially become a full-scale production.
01:56A Night to Remember starts with the familiar rituals of getting ready,
02:00then turns that anticipation into one enormous dance sequence.
02:04Ortega fills the frame with extras who are all doing something,
02:07whether they're waltzing, cha-cha-ing, circling the floor, or breaking into jazz choreography.
02:12Yet the whole thing feels spontaneous while clearly requiring serious timing.
02:17On the Night of Nights, the Night of Nights, tonight, let's dance!
02:24On the Night of Nights, you know we're gonna do it right.
02:29The dancers look like they're simply having the night of their lives.
02:32Even as every formation and transition has been carefully placed,
02:36it's prom fantasy turned up to the max,
02:38complete with enough coordinated movement to make your own school dance look delightfully under-rehearsed.
02:44It's gonna be a night, it's a night,
02:46to the never-never crowd,
02:49and never, ever, ever, ever, never, never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever forget!
02:54Number 8. Rotten to the Core, Descendants.
02:58Rotten to the Core wastes absolutely no time introducing us to the Isle of the Lost,
03:02and the choreography makes sure these kids own every inch of it.
03:06I'm rotten to the core, core, rotten to the core. I'm rotten to the core, core. Who could ask for
03:13more? I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door.
03:17Sharp hits, synchronized stomps, and street dance influences give the number its rough-around-the-edges attitude, while the staging
03:25keeps the group moving through the environment.
03:27Ortega drew inspiration from Tim Burton, Oliver, and Bob Fosse, but you can feel those influences without feeling like a
03:34history lesson.
03:42This is also the audience's first proper look at the core cast, so everyone needs a moment to stand out
03:48while moving together.
03:50It's an introduction with serious swagger, and no interest in playing nice.
03:54I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door. I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the, I'm
04:02rotten to the core.
04:04Number 7. It's Going Down, Descendants 2.
04:08If you ever wondered whether a pirate ship makes a good dance floor, It's Going Down has an answer.
04:13Apparently, yes, provided everyone can keep their footing.
04:16Let's go, bring it on. Better give us what we want. It's the wand for the crown. If you don't,
04:22it's going down.
04:22Let's go, make your move. Peace the war, it's up to you. Give them up and do it now. If
04:27you don't, it's going down.
04:28The number mixes hip-hop, sword fighting, and stunt work, with the cast racing through choreography on a very slippery
04:35set.
04:36Ortega's process was famously intense, and the performers typically had just three weeks of rehearsal before filming.
04:42That makes the precision here even more impressive.
04:45One, the one, or else the king is gone. Your time is running out. You should really watch your mouth.
04:52Let's go. Time for time. We're prepared to stand around. Put your swords up. Put them up. It's going down.
04:58Every hit and lunge also has to sell the characters' inner conflict as they choose between good and evil.
05:04It's not just a dance battle. It's a full-blown physical showdown, performed while trying not to go overboard.
05:10Guys, let's go!
05:12Let's go, now! Let's go!
05:14Come on!
05:24Number 6. Get your head in the game. High School Musical.
05:28The problem was simple. Half the cast could dance, and the other half could actually play basketball.
05:33Coach said to fake right and break left. Watch out for the pick and keep an eye on the fence.
05:38Gotta run the give and go, take the ball to the hole.
05:40And don't be afraid to shoot the outside, Jay.
05:42Ortega decided to make that everyone's problem and turned it into one of High School Musical's most memorable routines.
05:48Zac Efron, Corbin Bleu, and the Wildcats perform with real basketball players from a local school,
05:54using dribbles, passes, and bouncing balls like percussion.
06:08The dancers had to learn basketball skills, while the athletes picked up choreography and performance technique.
06:14So everyone was pushed outside their comfort zone.
06:17It worked.
06:18That collaboration even had a lasting effect, with a basketball team making its deepest playoff run the following year.
06:25Talk about extracurriculars.
06:36If you're ready to keep your head in the game, head over to Ms. Mojo's 24-7 live stream.
06:41Scan the QR code on screen to join us live for non-stop pop culture fun.
06:46Number 5. Strut. The Cheetah Girls 2.
06:49Strut feels like the kind of number that makes you want to book a flight immediately.
06:53You gotta strut like you mean it. Free your mind. It's not enough just to dream it. Come on. Come
07:01on. Get up.
07:02Shot across Barcelona, the sequence lets the Cheetah Girls dance through Las Ramblas and Parque Güell,
07:08before stopping outside the Palau Nacional.
07:11Ortega saw it as a chance to blend commercial dance with Spanish culture,
07:15making the locations part of the performance rather than scenery.
07:19Meninas, esto es mi sueño.
07:32The choreography keeps moving as the group travels from one landmark to the next,
07:37making the whole thing feel like one long music video.
07:40The characters' confidence and respect for the culture around them also come through.
07:44Naturally, fans still recreate those Cheetah Girl moments around Barcelona.
08:00Number 4. Stick to the Status Quo. High School Musical.
08:04A cafeteria has never had this much choreography packed into it.
08:19Stick to the Status Quo takes the clicks we've already met and gives each one its own movement style.
08:25From the jocks to the brainiacs, before pulling everyone into the same number.
08:29Ortega, alongside Chucky Claypow and Bonnie Story, staged it across a huge multi-level set,
08:36with dancers sliding across tables, jumping over benches, and hitting formations.
08:41No, no, no.
08:43Stick to the stuff you know.
08:46It is better but part in the knees that we are.
08:49No, yes, but no, no, no.
08:51The choreography tells the story.
08:54Everyone starts boxed into their social group, then those boundaries literally break down.
08:59It's a brilliant way to make the song's message visible,
09:01making a school lunchroom look considerably more exciting than anyone's actual lunch period.
09:07It is better but part in the knees that we are.
09:10Don't mess with the flow, no, no.
09:13Don't mess with the sky, don't mess with the sky, don't mess with the sky, don't mess with the sky,
09:18don't mess with the flow.
09:18Number 3, I Don't Dance, High School Musical 2.
09:22Ryan has a plan.
09:24Convince Chad that baseball and dance are basically the same thing.
09:27I'll show you that it's one and the same, baseball, dance, and same game.
09:31It's easy, step up to the plate, stop swinging.
09:36Somehow, it works.
09:38I Don't Dance turns a baseball diamond into a musical theater stage,
09:41with Ortega bringing real athletes into rehearsals to help performers get the sports movements right.
09:46In return, the actor showed the athletes how to perform for an audience.
09:50That back and forth gives the number personality.
09:53That's how you scream.
09:54You make a good pitch, but I don't believe.
09:56I say you can.
09:58I know I can't.
09:59I don't dance.
10:03Baseball mechanics become part of crisp jazz combinations,
10:07while the dancers and players gradually stop competing and start moving as one group.
10:11Very Kenny Ortega.
10:13Take two worlds that seem miles apart, put them together,
10:16and end up with one of the franchise's most entertaining numbers.
10:20I don't dance.
10:21I know you can.
10:22Not a chance.
10:23No, no.
10:24If I can do this, well, you can do that.
10:26But I don't dance.
10:27Get it out of the park.
10:29I don't dance.
10:30I say you can.
10:31It's not a chance.
10:32No, no.
10:33If I can do this, well, you can do that.
10:35But I don't dance.
10:40If Break This Down is supposed to be about bringing two sides together,
10:44Ortega clearly decided subtlety was not an option.
10:47We're gonna break this down.
10:50We're gonna rock the town.
10:55And we're gonna hold on fire.
10:57The finale pulls together performers from Auradon and The Isle in one huge number,
11:02with waves of dancers, rapid foot switches, synchronized jumps, and formations stretching
11:08across the space.
11:09It's fast and energetic rather than technically difficult, but keeping that pace takes serious
11:14stamina and tight synchronization, especially when the full company comes together.
11:34The choreography keeps everyone moving in rhythm, making the performers look like one giant
11:39dance crew.
11:40For a franchise built on rival kingdoms, it's a fitting finale.
11:45Everybody get in formation.
11:59Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:04Now or Never, High School Musical 3, Senior Year.
12:07Athletic basketball drills transform seamlessly into a massive, synchronized gymnasium opening
12:12championship spectacle.
12:21Good to be bad, Descendants 3.
12:24Edgy villain choreography explodes with fierce attitude, complex formations, and captivating
12:30energy.
12:30If you got pride, raise your V's apart.
12:33Brave and white, side to side, feel the vibe.
12:36It's good to be bad.
12:38The party's just begun.
12:40The Cheetah Girls 2.
12:41Electric urban choreography ignites a graduation party.
12:54Work This Out, High School Musical 2.
12:56Kitchen utensils become percussion instruments in brilliant rhythmic industrial choreography.
13:01Work, work, to work this out.
13:05We'll make things rise.
13:07The sun will shine.
13:09We're All in This Together, High School Musical.
13:12The definitive pop culture gymnasium finale unites a massive ensemble in timeless, joyful,
13:18synchronized steps.
13:19All in this together.
13:21Together.
13:22Once we know that we are, we're all stars, and we see that.
13:27We're all in this together.
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13:59Sharpay and Ryan are dreaming of their names and lights, so naturally their imaginary future
14:04includes 72 dancers, 5 costume changes, and a cafeteria that transforms into several different
14:10worlds.
14:24This is peak HSM3 excess, and honestly, we wouldn't want it any other way.
14:30Ortega draws on Fosse-style jazz and his work with the tubes, while Clay Powell helps splash
14:35the budget into a huge production.
14:37Would the world have been less of, land and the press of, you're giving me the best reviews.
14:43I want it all, I want it, want it, want it, want it, radio city musical.
14:49Stylized hands, dramatic isolations, a synchronized kick line, and rapid costume changes keep the
14:56number moving without losing its theatrical focus.
14:58It's Sharpay's fantasy of stardom given a very generous production budget, and every
15:03second says she, like Ortega, has absolutely no intention of thinking small.
15:09New York City!
15:21What's your favorite Kenny Ortega Disney number?
15:24Let us know in the comments.
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