- [Narrator] Multi hyphenate brilliant and driven.
She's left her mark in almost every realm
of the entertainment industry as a producer, director,
actress, singer songwriter,
world renowned choreographer, mother and wife,
the incomparable Miss Debbie Allen
always rises to the occasion sodifying her legendary status.
(percussive music)
- I was born into a world,
a physical world
that had closed doors,
brick ceilings,
white only restaurants, dance studios,
movie theaters.
But the real world that I was born into
was a world of ideas.
- [Narrator] Deborah Kaye Allen was born January 16th, 1950
in Houston, Texas to the award-winning
poet and artist Vivian Ayers
and an orthodontist, Andrew Arthur Allen.
Debbie Allen is also the younger sister
of the iconic Phylicia Rashad.
Growing up in Houston in the fifties and sixties
was challenging for Debbie Allen.
Those challenges were the racial divide
resulting in being denied admission
to dance school at a young age.
- Hi, I'm Debbie Allen.
I'm a product of the Jim Crow
way of life down in Texas.
As a teenager, I was denied
membership into a school to study ballet
because I was black.
As a young woman I was denied admittance into a college
because I was black.
I did not take my anger
into violence, I took it out into self development,
further self criticism
and knowing that I always had to do more
than everybody else.
- [Narrator] A few years later,
she was finally admitted at age 13
and studied there for four years
pushing her to become the Debbie Allen we know and love.
Mrs. Allen went from Houston, Texas to New York City
after studying at Howard University
where she received her degree in speech and theater.
In New York Allen began her career appearing on Broadway
in the chorus of Purlie by Ossie Davis in 1970.
She began her career with her debut on Good Times
as JJ's drug addicted fiance,
after which her career continued to excel
with Roots:The Next Generation,
along with her iconic portrayal
of dance teacher, Lydia Grant in the class TV show Fame,
which ran from 1982 to 1987.
The series transcended generations
and became a worldwide phenomenon
inspiring a new batch of aspiring dancers.
- So what's gonna happen on the horizon.
- Well, you know, Fame is still running.
♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪
- [Narrator] Fame allowed her to develop as director,
choreographer and producer.
Mrs. Allen won two Emmys and a Golden Globe
during the series.
(percussive music)
While continuing her acting
and choreography career in the early eighties,
Mrs. Allen also released two solo albums,
which also produced several singles.
Debbie Allen stomped into the nineties
showing no signs of slowing down
with her continued success on the sitcom, A Different World
as the producer, director of the series.
Her experience at Howard University fueled her creativity
for A Different World,
which made everyone want to go to college
and tripled college enrollment.
With the show highlighting topics like voter registration,
date rape, AIDS, cultural identity
and the famous Nikki Giovanni's ego tripping episode.
Mrs. Allen, the lead producer of Amistad
came across the story in a bookstore at Howard University
and 18 years later, she brought it to Steven Spielberg
and the rest was history.
- [Interviewer] Why do you think that
this story that was so important
to the history of our country
has sort of flown under the radar for so long
before you picked it up?
- Well, it speaks a lot about what is not happening
in our educational system.
It speaks a lot about
who's writing the history books and how,
it says a lot about history
being made to be politically correct
as opposed to really being stimulating
and active and vibrant.
History is alive.
- [Narrator] She choreographed the Academy Awards
for six consecutive years,
then returned to acting with co star LL Cool J
in the sitcom In The House
and most recently Grey's Anatomy
in which she also served as executive producer and director
as well as creating an inclusive crew
by hiring 50% female directors and people of color.
Aside from acting,
Debbie Allen has directed over 50 television
and film productions.
Her work has garnered her multiple awards
and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Mrs. Allen opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy
in Los Angeles, California for students ranging in age
from 4 to 18 and created the holiday stage play
the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker
with the show selling out every year since its debut.
Mrs. Allen is recognized universally
for the longevity of her career.
And with this Mrs. Allen states,
it requires passion and tenacity
and this makes Debbie Allen undeniably legendary.
(percussive music)