DAVID CORTEZ

DIRECTOR MUSICAL THEATRE / CHOREOGRAPHER / SUMMER CAMP / JTF TEAM

David Paul Cortez is an actor, singer, dancer, and educator passionate about inspiring the next generation of performers. He grew up in San Francisco and began training in Jazz and Tap at Spark of Creation Studio in South San Francisco. He earned his Associate of Arts degree in Acting from Orange Coast College and is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Drama at the 

University of California, Irvine. On stage, David has performed in a wide range of roles including Chad in All Shook Up!, Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde, Shrek in Shrek the Musical, Ms. Trunchbull in Matilda, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, and many more. He has also competed in musical theater and dance competitions, earning group honors such as Excellence in Dance at JTF West in 2020 and All Festival Outstanding Group Performances at JTF West in both 2020 and 2021, as well as winning the Individual Performance Award at JTF Texas in 2021. In his third year as a director of the AA4K JTF Competition team, David alongside Ms. Lily has won All Festival Outstanding Group Performance 2025. As a teacher, David is committed to giving students the education and opportunities he wished he had growing up, helping them develop confidence, discipline, and creativity that they can carry both onstage and into everyday life.