Debbie Allen

Debbie Allen: Biography in Details

Who is Debbie Allen?

Debbie Allen is an American actress, television director, dancer, choreographer, television producer, and a member of the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities.

Debbie Allen is best known for her roles in the series ‘Fame’, and ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ etc. Debbie has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the dance.

Who are the parents of Debbie Allen?

She was born on January 16, 1950, in Houston, Texas, USA. Her birth name is Deborah Kaye Allen and her birth sign is Capricorn.

Her father’s name is Andrew Arthur Allen Jr. and her mother’s name is Vivian Allen. Her father is an orthodontist and her mother is a poet, artist, playwright, scholar, and publisher.

She is the third of her parents and her siblings’ names are Phylicia Rashad, Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., and Hugh Allen. She developed her interest in dancing at the age of 3 and she joined dance class at the age of 5.

Her parents divorced in 1957 and hence she was raised by her mother. She took her children to Mexico in 1960.

The reunion between her family members was in Texas after two years. She holds American citizenship and her ethnicity is African-American.

Debbie Allen: Education History

She has completed her B.A. degree in classical Greek literature, speech, and theatre from Howard University.

Debbie Allen: Professional Life and Career

She went for an audition for the Houston Ballet School but she was rejected based on her skin color.

However, after seeing her skill, she became successful in impressing the admission department. After that, she was secretly enrolled by a Russian instructor.

Debbie was again rejected at the age of 16 when she was in an audition for the North Carolina School of the Arts because they discouraged black dancers.

She then worked hard and focused on her studies and finally, she became successful in making a television appearance.

She debuted with a small role in ‘Roots: The Next Generations’ but she hit big after she grabbed the role of Anita in ‘West Side Story’ in 1980. Then, she got an opportunity to become an instructor for the movie ‘Fame’.

Debbie debuted directing ‘The Cosby Show’ where her family member also starred and boosted the show to the top of the rating. She produced and directed the show until the final 1993.

She opened a dance academy in L.A, California in 2001 and named it Debbie Allen Dance Academy. She fulfilled her dream by opening the academy.

Her academy teaches the major dance techniques like Classical Ballet, Modern, African, Jazz, and Hip-Hop.

Debbie was also a judge and mentor since 2002 for the show ‘So You Think You Can’.

Debbie Allen: Lifetime Achievement and Awards

She had been appointed as a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President George W. Bush in 2001.

She won Emmy Award three times for the choreography for the series Fame’ and ‘The Motown 25^th Anniversary Special. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the dance on February 4, 2009, and many more.

How much is the net worth of Debbie Allen?

It is estimated that she has a net worth of around $3 million and it is expected to rise in the future because she is earning from different professions.

Debbie Allen: Rumors and Controversies

There was a rumor that she was doing unnecessary shots of College Whitely panning the camera up through her thighs and crotch to become more popular in her career.

Also, once there was a controversy when she auditioned for the Houston Ballet School, she was denied based on her skin color. However, later she got selected secretly through her skill.

Debbie Allen: Description of Body Measurements

She has a height of 5 ft. 2 inches and she weighs 65 kg. She wears shoes of size 8(US) and dresses of size 6(US).

Her body measurement is 35-28-36 inches. She has black-brown eyes and black-colored hair.

Debbie Allen: Social Media Profile

She has around 755k followers on Facebook, above 369k followers on Twitter, and around 1M followers on Instagram.

To know more about birth facts, family, childhood, education, profession, awards, net worth, rumors, body measurements, and social media profiles of Casper Smart and Nio Garcia, please click on the link.

Debbie Allen's Birthday Dates