Dancer Debbie Allen has been nominated for a Grammy Award 20 times and won five times. She is also an actress, choreographer, singer, director, and a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Debbie Allen has received a Golden Globe and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her work deserves closer inspection. The life and career of this multifaceted personality are full of surprises. More ahead on houstonski.
A Passion for Dance
Deborah Kay Allen was born in Houston on January 16, 1950. She was the youngest of three children born to orthodontist Arthur Allen and Vivian Ayers. Her mother, by the way, is a renowned poet and Pulitzer Prize nominee. From an early age, Debbie loved to dance. Her mother recalls her constantly dancing since she was 3. At 4, she seriously declared that she would become a dancer. Seeing their youngest daughter’s passion, her parents enrolled her in a dance school at age 5.
Debbie’s parents divorced when she was only 7. The children stayed with their mother. To her credit, she put everything aside and focused seriously on raising her children. Vivian Allen closely monitored their education and nurtured their creativity. Each child had responsibilities. Debbie’s mother particularly emphasized the development of independence. Vivian encouraged them to try new things. To foster this, she even moved the family from Houston to Mexico for two years. No family member spoke Spanish, and they had no acquaintances there. They were forced to adapt to these circumstances. Deborah Allen would later credit her mother’s dedication to their upbringing as a fundamental factor in her development.
The Struggle for a Place in the Sun
After the Mexico experiment, the Allen family returned to Houston. 12-year-old Deborah hadn’t lost her knack for dance and decided to audition for the Houston Ballet School. She passed all the auditions with flying colors but was not admitted to the school. Officially, the committee announced she hadn’t scored enough points. But in reality, Deborah was rejected because of her skin color. Segregation was still in effect at the time.
The rejection disheartened the young dancer, but it didn’t kill her desire to become a professional. The following year, Deborah tried to apply to the same institution again. This year, one of the instructors saw genuine talent in the girl. He secretly enrolled the future dancer in the ballet school. Eventually, this situation had to come to light. But when the administration found out, the faculty were so impressed by Deborah’s progress that they allowed her to stay at the school. Allen was thrilled.
To make the most of the opportunity she was given, she studied diligently. At one point, Deborah Allen was chosen to demonstrate technique for prospective students at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She prepared for this important task, but just before the performance, she was told she couldn’t do it. The administration rejected her application citing her body’s “unsuitability” for ballet, though the underlying reason was still segregation. Deborah Allen was disheartened. But life, and her studies, continued. Deborah immersed herself in learning the intricacies of choreography. She graduated with honors from the Houston Ballet School and went on to Howard University, where she also graduated with honors in 1971.
Broadway and Television
After graduation, Deborah immediately headed to Broadway. The dancer debuted in the chorus of Purlie. She had genuine talent and managed to land a role in the musical *Raisin*. This musical production won a Tony Award in 1973. This was followed by roles in several other theatrical productions. She truly gained attention after playing Anita in the Broadway revival of West Side Story. For this role, Deborah Allen was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress and won the prestigious Drama Desk Award.
In addition to theatrical productions, Deborah tried her hand at television. Her first such experience was filming the CBS sitcom Good Times. The actress played the fiancée of the main character, who was battling drug addiction. After her television debut, she landed the lead role in the variety show 3 Girls 3. Afterward, roles started pouring in. Although they were minor and mostly secondary, Allen consistently remained on the radar of TV producers.
Fame After Fame
Deborah Allen’s true recognition came with the series Fame. The actress played the role of Lydia Grant. Although the character wasn’t the lead in the film, she became central to the TV adaptation. The series ran from 1982 to 1987. At the beginning of every episode, Deborah Allen’s character delivered a montage teaser. In it, she famously told her students: “You want big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying… in sweat.” Although she poured a lot of sweat into all three seasons, the role brought her lasting fame.
Allen was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress four times during the show’s run. Deborah is the only actress who remained with the series from start to finish. In addition to her role in Fame, Deborah Allen was the show’s lead choreographer. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography and was also honored with a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series. Allen became the first Black woman in history to win this award. The Fame franchise won three Academy Awards and helped launch a dance phenomenon in the U.S.
Directing and Choreography
After her role in Fame, Deborah Allen starred in several films, but she became more interested in directing and producing. She served as producer and choreographer for the Broadway version of Stephen King’s famous work, Carrie. Following mixed reviews, Allen returned to television. Here, she produced the TV series A Different World. The sitcom focuses on the lives of students at the fictional Hillman College. She exclusively cast Black actors for the series. The show ran for six successful seasons.
A creative person has a knack for everything. Deborah Allen decided not to stop there and tried her hand at singing. She has two solo albums to her credit. Sweet Charity was released in 1986, and Special Look followed in 1989. The musical film Polly was also filmed that year.
Deborah Allen also voiced several animated films. She later returned to directing, helming the crime drama Unsung. The artist co-produced the historical drama Amistad with Steven Spielberg. The film received the Producers Guild of America Award. For her significant contribution to the television industry, Allen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.
Alongside all this, Allen never forgot choreography. She served as the lead choreographer for the Academy Awards show for 10 years. In 2001, the artist opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA). The institution offers training for anyone aged 4 to 18. This opportunity is available to all, regardless of their financial status. The institution is located in Los Angeles.
Family
Deborah Allen is married to Norm Nixon, a former NBA player. They have three children. Their eldest daughter, Vivian Nicole Nixon, followed her mother’s footsteps and became a professional dancer, even performing with Deborah in Broadway shows. Their son, Norman Ellard Nixon, is a basketball enthusiast like his father. Their youngest son is Devon Nixon. The family is happily married.