Former stage musical performer who turned to choreography in the 1980s, orchestrating stage shows for Cher, Bette Midler and Kiss, and glitzy TV specials for such pop celebrities as Cher, Olivia Newton-John and Neil Diamond. Ortega's energetic choreography shaped the way teens moved in 1980s films, from the Olivia Newton-John musical "Xanadu" (1980), to the John Hughes films "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986, for which he handled the "Twist and Shout" sequence) and "Pretty in Pink" (1986), to the steamy dance movie of the decade, "Dirty Dancing" (1987). He made his
