DOB: January 16, 1950
Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA

Occupation: Actress, choreographer, dancer, film director, television director and producer

Achievements:

· Received an Honorary doctorate from The North Carolina School of the Arts, the same institution that denied her admittance to its dance department when she was 16 years old; she was told then that she had the wrong type of body for dance.

· Has an Honorary doctorate from her alma mater Howard University.

· Won Essence Awards in 1992 and 1995.

· Won the first Lena Horne Award for Career Achievement at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.

· Has twice been nominated for Tony Awards: in 1980, as Best Actress (Featured Role – Musical) for a revival of West Side Story and in 1986, as Best Actress (Musical) for playing the title character in a revival of Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity.

· Received a Drama Desk Award in 1979.

· Was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Interesting facts:

· She is the daughter of dentist Arthur Allen and Pulitzer-prize nominated Vivan Ayers (artist, poet, playwright, and publisher).

· Her most notable role to date, that of Lydia Grant on the TV series Fame (1982), earned her three Emmy nominations and one Golden Globe.

· Founded the Debbie Allen Dance Institute in Culver City, CA, in 2000.

· Choreographed five Academy Award shows.

· She studied drama at the HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.

· She is the only person who appears in Fame (1980), Fame (1982) and Fame (1990).

· She has said that Glory (1989) is her favourite film.

· When she returned to her home in Texas, Debbie Allen auditioned at the Houston Ballet School at the age of 12.

· Allen has released two solo albums, 1986's Sweet Charity and 1989's Special Look which also had several singles off the album. In 1995, Allen lent her voice (as well as directing the voice cast) to the children's animated series C Bear and Jamal.

· In 2001, Allen fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles, California.

· Since 2007, Allen has participated as a judge and mentor for the U.S. version of So You Think You Can Dance.