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*Presented in partnership with William Morris Agency
Debbie Allen continues to be one of the most respected, relevant, and versatile talents in the entertainment industry today. The talented and successful actress, director, producer, choreographer, singer, and dancer continues to redefine herself as an accomplished artist.
Allen began her show business career on Broadway in the 1970s. Her debut in the chorus of “Purlie” and her performance in “A Raisin In the Sun” were noted by stage critics, and in a 1979 production of “West Side Story” her performance as Anita earned her a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award. Allen later returned to Broadway as a star, and garnered her second Tony nomination, with a 1986-87 performance in “Sweet Charity”.
Allen's stage presence and choreography quickly moved her from the Broadway stage to the larger venue of television. Throughout the 1970s she made guest appearances on popular programs such as “Good Times”, “The Love Boat” and “The Jim Stafford Show”. Her roles in the miniseries “Roots: The Next Generation” and the special, “Ben Vereen--His Roots”, allowed her to work with some of the most prominent African American performers in show business and to demonstrate her dramatic and comedic acting range.
In the early 1980s, a portrayal of the dance instructor, Lydia Grant, on the hit series “Fame” brought the name Debbie Allen to international prominence. Although the NBC show was canceled after one season, the program went on to first-run syndication for four more years. Its popularity in the United Kingdom prompted a special cast tour in England and spurred a "Famemania" fan phenomena.
Allen's success as a dancer and actress allowed her to move behind the camera to direct and produce. While still a cast member of “Fame” she became the first African American woman hired by a television network as a director in prime time. In 1989, after directing episodes of "Fame", she co-wrote, produced, directed, choreographed and starred in “The Debbie Allen Special” for ABC. She received two Emmy nominations for direction and choreography of this variety show.
In 1988, Allen solidified her reputation as a television director and producer by turning a flawed television series, “A Different World”, into a long running popular program. Under her leadership the program addressed political issues such as apartheid, date rape, the war in the Persian Gulf, economic discrimination, and the 1992 Los Angeles riot. The highest rated episode focused on sexual maturity and AIDS and guest starred Whoopi Goldberg, who was nominated for an Emmy award. Allen was awarded the Responsibility in Television award from the LA Film Teachers Association for consistently representing important social issues on "A Different World".
Allen's film work is also quite extensive with the successful and highly acclaimed DreamWorks production, “Amistad”, the story of a famed mutiny aboard a slave ship in 1839. With Debbie Allen producing, “Amistad” was the first film that Steven Spielberg chose to direct for DreamWorks.
Complementing Allen's versatility as a television actor is a repertoire of critically acclaimed film roles. In 1986 she played Richard Pryor's feisty wife in his semi-autobiographical film, “Jo-Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling”, and she co-starred with Howard E. Rollins and James Cagney in Milos Foreman's “Ragtime” in 1981. Allen's debut as a feature film director was the film, “Out of Sync”, starring LL Cool J, Victoria Dillard, and Yaphet Kotto.
Her success in TV and film production has not deterred her from her love of dance and she continues to dazzle television viewers with her choreography. In 1982, she choreographed the dance numbers for the Academy Awards and for the past consecutive five years, her unique style of choreography has been featured on the worldwide broadcast of the Award ceremony. For over twenty years, Allen's contributions to television, on the three major networks and in syndicated programming, have highlighted the maturity of a performer and artistic producer with an impressive spectrum of talents in the performing arts.
Debbie Allen has moved forward with yet another exciting project proving that she is, indeed, one of the hardest working individuals in Hollywood. In 2001, Allen fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles, California. Debbie plays an active role in each student's career as a dancer by offering her own hands-on instruction.
In addition, Debbie Allen has added the credit of author to her impressive array of merits. Allen has composed two children's books entitled, Brothers of the Knight, and more recently, Dancing in the Wings.
In 1992, Allen became Dr. Allen when she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the North Carolina School of Arts, as well as, one from her alma mater Howard University. Ms. Allen is a member of the prestigious President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, a board member of the American Film Institute, and she is a member of the executive committee of UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television. In recognition of her amazing career in the entertainment industry, Debbie Allen was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame--the world's most famous sidewalk. Debbie's Walk of Fame star is further proof to her life-long contribution in the entertainment arts, and it is a unique honor in a class by itself.
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