Kelly Devine

Kelly Devine is an American director and theatre choreographer renowned for her dynamic work on Broadway musicals, including Come from Away and Rocky the Musical, which have earned her Tony Award nominations for Best Choreography.^[1][2] Devine's career highlights include her choreography for the Tony-nominated production Rocky the Musical in 2014, where she received nominations from the Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Astaire Awards for Outstanding Choreography.^[3][2] Her contributions to Come from Away in 2017 similarly garnered Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations, along with a 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Choreography in the West End production.^[1][3] Beyond Broadway, she has choreographed Off-Broadway shows like Clueless (2018), as well as West End transfers including Clueless in 2025.^[1][2] In addition to stage work, Devine has extended her expertise to film and television, providing choreography for movies such as Detroit (2017) and The Upside (2019), and serving as additional crew on the film adaptation of Rock of Ages (2012).^[2] She has also contributed to TV series including Mozart in the Jungle and Wormwood, and maintains ongoing projects in development, such as musicals with composers David Foster and Kip Winger.^[2]

Early life

Upbringing in Los Angeles

Kelly Devine grew up in Los Angeles, California, where she spent her childhood immersed in the city's dynamic cultural landscape.^[4] Her family environment fostered creative pursuits, particularly through her stepfather, a professional reggae guitarist whose performances offered early opportunities for artistic expression. As a young girl, Devine frequently danced at these gigs, igniting her passion for movement and rhythm in a supportive home setting.^[5] This early interest in dance blossomed during her childhood in Los Angeles, where she began performing as a young dancer and demonstrated remarkable precocity by age 13, assisting with auditions for adult dancers. The proximity to Hollywood's film and television industry further shaped her formative years, exposing her to the world of professional entertainment from an early age.^[6][4]

Initial dance training

Kelly Devine, raised in Los Angeles, began her formal dance training in the city's vibrant performing arts scene, where she developed foundational skills as a young performer.^[4] Her early education encompassed a range of dance styles, including jazz, tap, ballet, and swing, pursued through workshops and classes at local Los Angeles studios.^[7] She later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater and Dance from Chapman University, honing her technical proficiency and artistic perspective in a structured academic environment.^[8] As she progressed, Devine assisted established choreographers on various local projects, gaining practical insights into movement creation and collaboration that informed her development as a dancer.^[9] These experiences laid the groundwork for her initial professional engagements as a performer in film and television, where she built essential on-set skills in timing, adaptability, and ensemble work before transitioning toward choreography.^[7]

Career

Early film and television work

Kelly Devine spent the first two decades of her professional career in Los Angeles, where she focused on choreography for film, television, and commercials, honing her skills in integrating movement with narrative in non-theatrical mediums.^[4] This period allowed her to build a reputation for creating dynamic dance sequences tailored to screen formats, often collaborating on projects that blended music, performance, and storytelling.^[9] Among her early film credits, Devine served as choreographer for Happy Texas (1999), a comedy directed by Mark Illsley, where she designed the dance elements that supported the film's lighthearted tone and ensemble scenes.^[10] She also choreographed Passport to Paris (1999), a family adventure starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, contributing movement to its youthful, energetic sequences.^[11] Additional film work included assisting on music and movement for projects like the Olsen twins' You're Invited video series, further developing her style in visual media.^[11] In television, Devine's contributions spanned youth-oriented series and later prestige projects, starting with choreography for Two of a Kind (ABC, 1998–1999) and So Little Time (Fox Family, 2001–2002), both featuring the Olsen sisters and emphasizing playful, synchronized routines.^[11] She later handled musical staging and choreography for Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon, 2014–2018), integrating dance with the series' exploration of classical music and performance worlds.^[2] Other notable TV credits include Wormwood (Netflix, 2017), a docudrama miniseries where she crafted movement for its experimental sequences, and Dear Dumb Diary (Disney Channel, 2014), a teen comedy film for TV that showcased her ability to choreograph accessible, character-driven dances.^[2][12] These roles underscored her versatility in adapting choreography to the constraints and opportunities of filmed entertainment.^[13]

Transition to theatre

In the mid-2000s, Kelly Devine relocated from Los Angeles to New York City to pursue opportunities in theatre, drawn to the city's role as a hub for creating new musicals.^[9][4] Her background in film and television choreography provided a foundation in precise, camera-aware movement that she adapted to the demands of live stage performance.^[14] Devine's entry into Broadway came through associate and assistant choreographer positions on major productions, where she honed her skills in ensemble dynamics under seasoned collaborators. Her first New York theatre credit was as assistant and associate choreographer on Jersey Boys in 2005, working with Sergio Trujillo to craft the show's energetic doo-wop and rock sequences.^[9][15][3] She later served as associate choreographer on the Tony-winning musical Memphis in 2009, contributing to its soulful, period-specific dance numbers that emphasized group storytelling and rhythmic precision.^[15][3][1] Marking her initial foray into lead choreography, Devine took on independent projects in off-Broadway and regional venues during this transitional period. A notable early credit was choreographing the 2007 off-Broadway musical Frankenstein, where she designed movement to evoke the story's gothic tension and emotional isolation through stylized, ensemble-driven sequences.^[16][17][18] These works allowed her to experiment with musical theatre conventions, bridging her screen experience to the immediacy of live audiences.

Broadway choreography

Kelly Devine's Broadway choreography career marked a significant evolution from her earlier associate roles on productions such as Jersey Boys, where she honed her skills in ensemble dynamics and narrative movement, leading to her first lead credit on the 2009 transfer of Rock of Ages.^[1] For Rock of Ages, Devine crafted high-energy, rock concert-style numbers that captured the show's 1980s hair-metal aesthetic, drawing inspiration from music video choreography to infuse the ensemble sequences with exuberant, crowd-pleasing flair. Her work emphasized synchronized group formations and athletic leaps, transforming the jukebox musical's nostalgic anthems into visceral, stadium-like spectacles that propelled the production's long run.^[19][6] In 2014, Devine collaborated with movement director Steven Hoggett on *Rocky* the Musical, where she focused on the dance elements while Hoggett handled boxing sequences, integrating naturalistic athleticism to blend fight training with musical storytelling. Her choreography featured gritty, realistic movements in numbers like the "Patriotic" sequence, where performers executed boxer-like footwork and ensemble drills to evoke the underdog spirit of Rocky Balboa, ensuring the cast of singer-actors could sustain the physical demands across eight weekly shows. Rigorous rehearsals incorporated circuit training and prop-lifting to mimic authentic boxing rigor, avoiding stylized "dancing boxers" in favor of grounded physicality.^[20] Devine's choreography for the short-lived 2015 production of Doctor Zhivago adapted the epic scope of Boris Pasternak's novel through sweeping, narrative-driven dance that reflected the Russian Revolution's turmoil and romantic longing. She incorporated high-energy folk-infused sequences, including Cossack-style agility in tavern scenes and a high-flying Hopak in the first-act number "It's a Godsend," where legs kicked out in dynamic formations to heighten emotional intensity amid the score's sweeping melodies. These elements supported the intimate love story by using ensemble movement to symbolize broader historical upheaval, though the show's brief run limited its visibility.^[21][22] For Come from Away in 2017, Devine developed folk-inspired, community-focused choreography that emphasized ensemble unity and emotional authenticity, drawing from the real-life events of stranded airline passengers in Newfoundland post-9/11. Her style relied on minimal props like chairs and tables to create sweeping transitions—depicting buses, planes, and community halls—while incorporating subtle gestures and a lively jig in the "Heave Away" sea shanty to capture the warmth of local rituals like "screech-ins." This restrained, gesture-based approach suited the non-dancer cast, prioritizing storytelling over virtuosic display to foster a sense of collective humanity.^[23] Devine's work on Escape to Margaritaville (2018) shifted to tropical, laid-back vibes, infusing Jimmy Buffett's catalog with bouncy, reggae-influenced sequences that contrasted the show's island paradise setting. Choreographing for a dance-savvy 16-member ensemble, she created exuberant breaks like a second-act tap number featuring "Mad Men"-style zombies in a character's flashback, blending relaxed loping rhythms with wild, big-energy moments to evoke carefree escapism. This marked a deliberate pivot from the more delicate movements of her prior project, allowing for unrestrained fun in adapting over 20 songs into fluid, beachy spectacles.^[24] Devine provided choreography for Diana, The Musical on Broadway in 2021, creating elegant and dramatic movement sequences that captured the glamour and turmoil of Princess Diana's life, blending classical ballet influences with contemporary musical theatre to highlight key emotional moments in the royal narrative. The production ran from November 17 to December 19, 2021.^[25]

Other theatre and directing projects

In addition to her Broadway work, Devine choreographed the Off-Broadway musical adaptation of Clueless at The New Group's Off-Broadway Theatre in 2018, infusing the production with vibrant dance sequences that captured and updated the 1990s pop culture essence of the original film.^[26][27] She later choreographed the West End production of Clueless at the Trafalgar Theatre, which ran from February 15 to August 23, 2025, adapting the energetic, teen-focused choreography to the London stage while preserving the show's witty, fashion-forward spirit.^[28] Devine adapted her choreography for the West End transfer of Come from Away at the Phoenix Theatre in 2019, tailoring the movement to the intimate London stage while preserving the ensemble's rhythmic storytelling of human connection, which contributed to the production's international success.^[9] Expanding into directing, Devine helmed the 2019 concert presentation of the rock musical Get Jack, a thriller inspired by Jack the Ripper with music by Kip Winger, at Rockwood Music Hall, blending high-energy choreography with narrative tension.^[29] She is also developing Wildflower, a musical based on David Foster's iconic song, as director and choreographer.^[30] Furthermore, Devine is directing and choreographing Enter the Dragon, a new musical featuring music by Danny Elfman, with a world premiere planned for Las Vegas.^[31] These projects build on her established Broadway foundation to explore innovative storytelling through movement in regional and developmental contexts.^[11]

Awards and nominations

Tony Award nominations

Kelly Devine has earned two nominations for the Tony Award for Best Choreography, the most prestigious accolade in Broadway theater, presented annually by the American Theatre Wing to honor excellence in live theatrical productions. These nominations highlight her ability to blend movement with narrative in musicals, competing against top talents in high-profile ceremonies that celebrate the season's standout works. In 2014, at the 68th Annual Tony Awards, Devine shared her first nomination with co-choreographer Steven Hoggett for Rocky, a musical adaptation of the iconic film that featured innovative integration of athletic boxing sequences and traditional dance numbers to propel the story of underdog perseverance.^[32] Their work stood out among nominees including Warren Carlyle for After Midnight (the winner) and Casey Nicholaw for Aladdin, underscoring Devine's versatility in staging physically demanding ensemble action within a Broadway framework. Devine's second nomination arrived in 2017 for Come From Away at the 71st Annual Tony Awards, where her choreography was lauded for its innovative ensemble-driven movement that evoked the real-life communal bonds formed in Gander, Newfoundland, during the post-9/11 airport stranding. Competing against peers like Andy Blankenbuehler for Bandstand (the winner) and David Neumann for Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, this recognition affirmed her skill in creating fluid, character-focused staging for intimate, story-centric musicals.

Olivier Award

Kelly Devine received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer in 2019 for her work on the West End production of Come from Away at the Phoenix Theatre.^[33][34] The award recognized her innovative musical staging, which transformed a cast of 12 actors into the diverse ensemble of the story, capturing the communal spirit of the events in Gander, Newfoundland.^[35] The production marked the London transfer of the original Broadway musical, with Devine adapting her choreography to suit the British cast while preserving the core movements that evoked the cultural hospitality and urgency of the narrative.^[36] This included subtle adjustments to ensure the physicality of the Newfoundland setting and the influx of international passengers resonated with UK audiences, emphasizing rhythmic group dynamics over traditional dance numbers.^[37] Announced at the 2019 Olivier Awards ceremony on April 7, Devine dedicated her acceptance speech to the real people of Gander, crediting their "effortless" kindness as the inspiration for the show's movement.^[35][38] This victory represented her first major international accolade, underscoring the global impact of her choreography in bringing the post-9/11 story to new stages.^[39]

Additional honors

In 2014, Kelly Devine earned a nomination for the Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreographer in a Broadway Show for her work on Rocky, where her choreography seamlessly blended high-energy athleticism, including boxing-inspired movements, with traditional musical theatre dance to evoke the physicality of the boxer's journey.^[40] She also received nominations for Outstanding Choreography from the Drama Desk Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for the same production.^[3] Devine received another significant recognition in 2017 with a nomination for the Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show for Come from Away, honoring her ability to craft narrative-driven sequences that incorporated folk and communal dance elements to reflect the show's themes of unexpected community and resilience.^[41] Additionally, she earned nominations for Outstanding Choreography from the Drama Desk Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Come from Away.^[3] Beyond these nominations, Devine has been celebrated in industry publications like Dance Spirit for her multifaceted career, which spans innovative Broadway productions and emphasizes empowering, dynamic movement for diverse ensembles.^[14]