Debbie Allen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Debbie Allen
Allen at the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors
Born	Deborah Kaye Allen (1950-01-16) January 16, 1950 (age 75) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Education	Howard University (BA)
Occupation	Actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, television director, television producer
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Win Wilford ​ (m. 1975⁠–⁠1983)​ Norm Nixon ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	3, including Vivian Nixon
Relatives	Phylicia Rashad (sister) Condola Rashad (niece)

Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is a famous American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She is also a talented singer, director, and producer. Debbie Allen has won many awards, including five Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. She even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

She is well-known for playing Lydia Grant, a dance teacher, in the TV show Fame (1982–1987). She also helped create all the dances for the show. Later, Debbie Allen became a director and producer. She directed many episodes of the popular TV show A Different World (1988–1993). Since 2011, she has played Dr. Catherine Avery in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. She also works as an executive producer and director for that show.

In 2001, Debbie Allen started the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. Here, she teaches young dancers. She is the younger sister of actress and director Phylicia Rashad.

Early Life and Challenges

Growing Up in Texas

Debbie Allen was born in Houston, Texas. She was the third child of Andrew Arthur Allen, who was an orthodontist (a dentist who straightens teeth). Her mother, Vivian Allen, was an artist, poet, and writer who was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Debbie went to Howard University and earned a degree in classical Greek literature, speech, and theater. She also studied acting in New York City.

Facing Hurdles to Dance

When Debbie Allen was twelve, she tried out for the Houston Ballet Academy. She was not accepted. A year later, a Russian teacher saw her perform and helped her get into the academy. The school then let her stay because they saw her amazing talent.

Later, at sixteen, she was again told her body was not right for ballet. This happened even after she had a successful audition for the North Carolina School of the Arts. Despite these rejections, Debbie Allen kept going. She decided to focus on her studies and soon began her acting career.

Career Highlights

Starting on Broadway (1970–1981)

Debbie Allen began her career on Broadway, which is famous for its live theater shows. Her first Broadway show was Purlie in 1970. She later played the role of Beneatha in the musical Raisin.

In 1980, she became well-known for her role as Anita in the Broadway show West Side Story. For this role, she was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award. She also appeared in the TV miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. In 1981, she played Sarah in the movie Ragtime.

Becoming Famous with Fame (1982–1987)

Debbie Allen first appeared as Lydia Grant in the movie Fame (1980). Her role grew much bigger in the TV show Fame, which ran from 1982 to 1987. In the show, Lydia Grant often told her students, "You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying ... in sweat."

Debbie Allen was nominated for an Emmy Award four times for her acting in Fame. She is the only person to have been in all three Fame productions: the 1980 film, the 1982 TV series, and the 2009 movie remake. She was also the main choreographer for the film and TV series. She won two Emmy Awards for Choreography and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She was the first Black woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV musical or comedy.

Debbie Allen in 1983

With the cast of "Fame" in 1983. Debbie Allen is in the center with sunglasses on her head.

Directing and Producing (1988–Present)

After Fame, Debbie Allen started working more behind the camera as a director and choreographer. She choreographed the Broadway musical Carrie in 1988.

She became the producer and often director of the TV series A Different World. This show was about students at a fictional historically Black college. Debbie Allen helped change the show into a lively and socially important comedy. She directed 83 episodes of the show.

Debbie Allen at the Kennedy Center in 1998

Debbie Allen has also released two music albums. She directed the musical film Polly in 1989. She choreographed the Academy Awards show for ten years. In 1995, she starred in the NBC sitcom In the House. She also helped produce the historical drama film Amistad in 1997.

In 2001, she founded the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. She has also been a judge and mentor on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. In 2008, she directed a Broadway play called Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

In the 2000s and 2010s, Debbie Allen directed many TV shows. These include Everybody Hates Chris, How to Get Away with Murder, and Scandal. Since 2011, she has played Dr. Catherine Fox in Grey's Anatomy and is also an executive producer for the show. In 2020, she directed the musical film Christmas on the Square for Netflix.

Awards and Honors

Debbie Allen has received many awards for her amazing work:

• She holds the record for the most wins and nominations for the Outstanding Choreography Emmy Award.
• In 1991, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• She won three Emmy Awards for Choreography for Fame and The Motown 25th Anniversary Special.
• She has won 10 Image Awards for her work as a director, actress, choreographer, and producer.
• In 2009, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to dance.
• She has honorary doctorates from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Howard University.
• In 2020, she was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors.
• In 2021, she received the Television Academy's Governors Award at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Personal Life

Debbie Allen is married to former NBA basketball player Norm Nixon. They have three children: Vivian Nichole Nixon (a dancer), Norman Ellard Nixon Jr. (a basketball player), and DeVaughn Nixon. Debbie was previously married to Win Wilford. Her sister is the famous actress and director Phylicia Rashad.

Filmography

Film

Television

Director

Writer

• Movement magazine, regular columnist since 2006
• Dancing in the Wings paperback, by Debbie Allen (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

Discography

• Special Look (1989)

Images for kids

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  Debbie Allen at the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors

See also

In Spanish: Debbie Allen para niños