Debbie Allen Biography

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Debbie Allen (born Deborrah Kaye Allen on January 16, 1950 in Houston, Texas) is an American actor, choreographer, film director, television producer and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She is best known for her role as Lydia Grant in the hit television series, Fame.

She currently teaches young dancers at her Debbie Allen Dance Academy. She also taught choreography to former L.A. Laker dancer-turned singer, Paula Abdul. Her daughter, Vivian Nixon, played Kalimba in the Broadway Production of Hot Feet.

Background

She earned a B.A. degree in classical Greek literature, speech, and theater from Howard University and holds honorary doctorates from both her alma mater and the North Carolina School for the Arts. She has starred in film and on Broadway she earned two Tony Award nominations. Allen is the sister of actress Phylicia Rashad, aka Phylicia Ayers-Allen, and is married to former NBA player Norm Nixon.

Fame

Allen was first introduced as Lydia Grant in the 1980 movie Fame. Although her role in the film was relatively small, Lydia would become a central figure in the highly popular 1982 - 1987 series which was adapted for television, Fame. During the opening montage of each episode, Ms. Grant told her students: "You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying ... in sweat." Allen was also lead choreographer for the film and television series, winning two Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award. She then spun-off the Fame franchise into a reality show in 2003 but it met with only limited success.

A Different World

In an article from the Museum of Broadcast Communications, the Hollywood Reporter is quoted as stating that when Debbie Allen became the producer-director of the popular television series, A Different World (which dealt with the life of students at the fictional historically Black college, Hillman, and ran for six seasons on NBC), Allen, herself,

a graduate of historically black Howard University--drew from her college experiences in an effort to accurately reflect in the show the social and political life on black campuses. Moreover, Allen instituted a yearly spring trip to Atlanta where series writers visited two of the nation's leading black colleges, Morehouse and Spelman. During these visits, ideas for several of the episodes emerged from meetings with students and faculty" [1].

Select works

Actor

• Ragtime - Sarah
  
• Fame (TV series) - Lydia Grant
  
• Fame (film) - Lydia Grant
  
• In the House - Jackie Warren
  

Guest appearances

• A Different World
  
• The Cosby Show
  
• Cosby
  

Choreographer

• The Academy Awards Show for five consecutive years
  
• Carrie, the notorious Broadway flop (which ran for only 5 performances)
  

Director

• Life Is Not A Fairy Tale (Lifetime Network)
  
• That's So Raven
  
• The Jamie Foxx Show
  
• A Different World
  
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  
• Family Ties
  
• Fame (television)
  

Producer

• Amistad with Steven Spielberg.
  

Honors

In 2001, Debbie Allen was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

External links

• 
  
• 
  
• Museum of Broadcast Communications
  

fr:Debbie Allen

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