Dirty Dancing choreographer Kenny Ortega likens late Patrick Swayze to Gene Kelly as he praises actor’s ‘masculinity and elegance’ on film’s 20th anniversary
DIRTY Dancing choreographer Kenny Ortega has likened the late Patrick Swayze to the legendary Gene Kelly and gushed over the actor's "masculinity combined with incredible elegance" as he reminisced about the film's 20th anniversary.
Fancy footwork guru Kenny spoke exclusively to The Sun Online about his close working relationship with the hunky Hollywood star, who tragically died from pancreatic cancer in 2009.
American Kenny, who was at the helm of the routines for new Disney movie The Descendants 2, told us it was a "thrill" to work with the trained dancer who played dancer Johnny Castle in the 1987 flick.
He exclusively told us: "You don't come across a guy that's a cowboy and a ballet dancer very often.
"This guy was like Gene Kelly really - he had this edge and masculinity combined with this incredible grace and elegance.
"He was a brilliant dancer and a wonderful man and a powerful actor."
He continued: "Patrick was an excellent dancer when he came to us.
"Jennifer (Grey) didn't have the kind of training Patrick had, she was really an improvisational dancer and quite good at it.
"And Cynthia (Rhodes) was an extraordinary dancer.
"I had really strong partners and a wonderful cast to work with."
The 67-year-old, who later went on to train Disney child stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens in High School Musical, said practising routines with the Dirty Dancing cast in the Eighties was a whole different ball game.
The lack of technology, he said, meant they could retreat for an entire summer to perfect the dances for the hit film.
On today's Good Morning Britain, Kenny added Jennifer, who plays Patrick's love interest Baby in the movie, perfected the iconic lift just hours before it was filmed.
He said: "She did the lift in real-time, she didn't have it down until just before.
"There was a lot of added excitement."
Now, 20 years on from Dirty Dancing's release, he added: "We had this incredible tight-knit group which were really focused and we had such a ball, such a great time coming to know one another and building this movie.
"But I don't think any of us really had any idea it would have the global reach or longevity that it had
"It's really something really special.
He added a special screening of the film in aid of Patrick had recently been aired in LA to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
In a touching message, Kenny added: "He was a Texas boy and it felt very appropriate to bring his huge impact in that movie and the impact that he's had with men and women all over the world as Jonny Castle to remember him in name."
Meanwhile Kenny has been focused on the six fresh routines for The Descendants 2.
The Disney Channel original movie follows up from the successful Descendants and tells the story of the teenage sons and daughters of Disney's most infamous villains.
The characters try to make a home in idyllic Auradon yet for one, mal (Dove Cameron), it sees her return to her rotten roots as she struggles to deal with the pressure of being royally perfect.
Kenny was first to tell The Sun Online the song and routine titles, disclosing the upbeat tracks are Ways to be Wicked, What's my name?, Chillin like a Villain, The Space Between, It's Going Down and You and Me.
He added disaster very nearly struck when filming for Chillin Like A Villain was hit by a typhoon in "the biggest single challenge" of the film.
Talking of the action-packed routines he told us: "They have to move the story forward.
"When the actor stops speaking and the music and the dancing begin, the story has to continue.
"It can't stop."
The first Disney Descendants was a global success and is the No.1 Disney Channel Original Movie ever among girls in the UK.
Descendants 2 premieres on Friday 20th October at 5.30pm on Disney Channel.
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