Los Angeles Times, July 25, 1989, sec. The youngest daughter in a family of four children, she showed an interest in the performing arts, especially dance, at a very early age. The movie was one of the biggest hits of the early 1980s and it brought Allen a level of stardom she had not been able to find on the stage. A year later a Russian dancer who saw her perform secretly enrolled her in the school, revealing the plot three months later. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, Hines, Gregory 19462003 Debbie Allen (front, left) and Gene Anthony Ray (front, center), in a 1982 episode of "Fame." MGM/Everett Collection "The role in 'Fame' did so many things for me because I did so many things. She is also a wife and a mother who has directed episodes of Everybody Hates Chris and Witches of East End. Born Deborah Allen, January 16, 1950, in Houston, TX; daughter of Andrew Allen (a dentist) and Vivian Ayers (an artist); married Win Wilford (a record executive; divorced); married Norman Nixon (a former professional basketball player and real estate broker), 1984; children: (second marriage) Vivian, Norm, Jr. Education: Howard University, B.A. She told Jet People can be really talented, but they might not make it beyond one step of that glorious moment of stardom, so to speak, if they dont have the work ethic that it takes to continue to study, to continue to develop and to stay sharp with what you do. She is hoping the show will revitalize Americas love of dance and will inspire young dancers to try their hardest to achieve their goals. She was so determined to succeed in show business, she refused the day jobs that usually pay aspiring actresses rent. I was just too devastated, she told the Washington Post. [2] She holdshonoris causaDoctorates fromHoward Universityand theUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts.[source?] I wish it hadn't been canceled. Take your children with you. As soon as she had read the book, Allen knew that it was an event that the world needed to hearand a feature film if ever there was one, as she told Essence. There was too much pressure on their relationship, she told the Washington Post. Allen, who is the mother of two children by her second husband, Norm Nixon, promises that she has scores of other projects she wants to develop for stage and screen. Contemporary Black Biography. As a child Allen tried to take ballet classes at the Houston Foundation for Ballet, but she was rejected for reasons her mother thought were discriminatory. She (and her husband) even composed one of the shows songs, a gospel number called Stand Up, which is sung by a cast of 200. Allens talents were further highlighted in 1989, when she directed and choreographed her first movie, the Disney TV musical Polly. Her hopes soared when she was chosen to demonstrate technique for other prospective students; however, the judges rejected her application, saying that her body was unsuited for balleta criticism often used to impede black dancers. Appeared in films: Fame, 1980; Under Fire, 1981; Ragtime, 1981; The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, which she choreographed, 1979; Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling, 1986; Mona Must Die,1994; Blank Check,1994; Forget Paris, which she choreographed, 1995. Kelly Muniz, of Los Angeles, stated a . She also directed and starred in Stompin at the Savoy, a TV movie about four black women whose lives centered around Harlems Savoy Ballroom in the years before World War II. New York Post, August 18, 1982. 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Actress, dancer, singer Encyclopedia.com. By the time the admissions department discovered the situation, they were so impressed with her skills that they let Allen stay in the program. Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back. Addresses: Office Wolf-Kasteler, 1033 Gayley Ave., Suite 208, Los Angeles, CA 90024-3417. The role that finally put her over the top was that of the fiery Anita in a 1980 revival of West Side Story. 22 Feb. 2023 . She stayed with the show for two years before she branched out into television, working in commercials and series. Be free., In 1960 Vivian Ayers took her daughters to live with her in Mexico. Dancing In the Wings, Dial Books for Young Readers, 2000. Work at whatever you do, whether you get paid or not. However, the road to getting Amistad made was not an easy one for Allen to travel. Well, fame costs. The Met Gala wasn't the only star-studded event Monday night. Choreographer for Fame, 1982-87. 2.Series / In the House - TV Tropes. Mya Allen Says One Small Thing Is "Still a Problem" in Her Relationship with Oliver. Recalling those early months, she told the Washington Post,I pounded pavements, went to every audition. I was always imitating the ladies in the circus, she told the Chicago Tribune. Walz, Barbra, and Jill Barber, Starring Mothers, Dolphin/Doubleday, 1987. We saw ourselves as citizens of the world. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. On television, she not only choreographed and helped direct the award-winning series Fame, she starred in it as well. (1983) Gene Anthony Ray (May 24, 1962 - November 14, 2003) was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. The star joined the cast of the show after Season 2 and eventually jumped behind the camera to direct The Cosby Show spin-off. In high school Debbie took ten dance classes a week and still managed to stay on the honor rollprobably one of the reasons she was nicknamed Miss Versatile by her fellow students. ." And right here is where you start paying. A year later, a Russian instructor at the school who saw Allen perform secretly enrolled the aspiring dancer. The next year she made her movie debut in the film version of E. L. Doctorow's novel Ragtime, and then appeared in the hit movie Fame, with a small part as the dance teacher Lydia Grant. Like you, I am still a work in progress, she told graduates of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts West, a speech that was quoted in the Washington Post. ." 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. . . Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty. Phylicia remains best known for her portrayal of Mrs. Claire Huxtable on the long-running television series The Cosby Show. If I were injured and my career ended, [her daughter] Vivian would still be there and Id have to raise her. Her performance earned her a Tony nomination and landed her a role as a dance. The network pulled the plug. She said, Can you act? I said, Yes, maamand then it all happened.. She was dubbed "The Mother of the Black Community" at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards . In 2001, Allen opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. Her musical numbers in that play included If My Friends Could See Me Now, Where Am I Going? and Im a Brass Band. Newsweek reviewer Jack Kroll praised Allens performance, noting that she does everything that a star can do: a fine actress, a rousing singer, a knockout dancer, a true comedienne, she explodes with sheer joy., Allens vocal talents have always been somewhat eclipsed by her acting and dancing, but she did release a pop album, Special Look, in 1979. The story gently reflects the rising tide of the civil rights movement, a dose of reality on which Allen insisted. Walz, Barbra, and Jill Barber, Starring Mothers, Dol-phin/Doubleday, 1987. Beginning in the late 1980s she earned credentials as producer and director of the hit situation comedy A Different World. Allen directed the season one finale, which included musical performances by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson and pop star Rita Ora. Besides acting on the show, Debbie has also directed several episodes and she has become an executive producer as of season 12. Dont leave them behind. Even though she had many things going for her, Allen still found time to devote to her first loves, dance and theater. For her vast body of work, Ms. Allen has earned three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, five NAACP Image Awards, a Drama Desk, an Astaire Award (for Best Dancer), and the Olivier Award. When he saw her perform, he was stunned: My God, he exclaimed,you can dance.. A once-famous football player must rent part of his house to support himself. . She would continue to produce and direct the show until it went off the air in 1993. Later that year she was honored with a Career Achievement Award from the Acapulco Black Film Festival. Mama always took us with her, and we were part of her vision and her dream along the way, Allen shared. During the 1980s Allen also acted in the television movie Women of San Quentin (1983), appeared in Richard Pryor's movie Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1985), and played Charity in a Broadway revival of Sweet Charity (1986). Strumolo, Amy; Zerbonia, Ralph "Allen, Debbie 1950 https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/allen-debbie-1950, Strumolo, Amy "Allen, Debbie 1950 Debbie was devastated. In 1979 she returned to Broadway in Aint Misbehavin, and appeared in as well as choreographed the film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. She said, It is time to go. I respect that so much., After about two years in Mexico, Allen and her family returned to Texas. As a song-and-dance entertainer, she thrilled Broadway audiences with her work in revivals of West Side Story and Sweet Charity. ', Astrological Sign: Capricorn, Article Title: Debbie Allen Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/debbie-allen, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: August 7, 2020, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. New York Times, October 4, 1990, p. C26; March 29, 1992, sec. Everything's Jake. Despite her many accomplishments, Debbie Allen is not one to rest on her laurels. Her hopes soared when she was chosen to demonstrate technique for other prospective students; however, the judges rejected her application, saying that her body was unsuited for balleta criticism often used to impede black dancers. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Encyclopedia.com. The writing is great. In 1986 Debbie Allen became a star in her own right when she headlined Bob Fosses revival of the musical Sweet Charity. A single mother and her two kids are the latest tenants. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984-1992) which earned her Emmy Award nominations in 1985 and 1986. Later, however, her application was rejected because her body was "unsuited" for ballet a criticism often used to discourage Black dancers. 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