Debbie Allen

Quick Facts

Birth Date January 16,1950
Full Name Debbie Kaye Allen
Birth Name Deborah Kaye Allen
Profession Actress, Choreographer, director, producer, dancer
Nationality American
Ethnicity African-American
Birth City Texas
Birth Country United States
Father Name Andrew Author Allen
Father Profession orthodontist
Mother Name Vivian Allen
Mother Profession artist
Gender Identity Female
Sexual Orientation Straight
Horoscope Capricorn
Marital Status Married
Spouse Nixon Norm, Win Wilford (m. 1975–1983)
No Of Children 3
Wiki Link Wiki Link
Twitter Link Twitter Link
Insta Link Insta Link

Some of the prominent personalities not only holds a single profession but is engaged in multi-profession. In the similar context, Debbie Allen is also a multi-artistic person. She is an American actress, choreographer, dancer, television producer and television director. Moreover, Allen is a former member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

She was born on 16th January 1950 in Houston, Texas, U.S. And She holds American nationality and is of African-American ethnicity.

She is the third child of orthodontist Andrew Arthur Allen Sr. and her mother Vivian Allen is a poet, scholar, publisher, and Pulitzer Prize-nominated artist. Her sister, Phylicia Rashad is actress/singer/director and brother Andrew Arthur Allen Jr is a musician.

Biography

Deborrah Kaye Allen was born on January 16, 1950, in Houston, Texas, the third child of Pulitzer-winning poet Vivian Ayers, and dentist Arthur Allen. Allen was 3 when she began dancing. By the age of 4 she had become determined to be a professional performer, and her parents enrolled her in dance classes at the age of 5.

Actress, dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen hit it big in 1980, starring in a Broadway revival of West Side Story. Her performance earned her a Tony nomination and landed her a role as a dance instructor in the movie Fame (1980). The film evolved into a successful television spin-off in 1982, in which Allen co-starred and won three Emmy awards for choreography. In 2001, Allen opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. She also made other appearances on TV, starring in In the House and Grey’s Anatomy.

Where did Debbie get her Education?

Debbie graduated from Howard University with a BA in classical Greek literature, drama, and speech. She later pursued acting studies at the HB Studio in New York City. She obtained honorary doctorates from Howard University as well. And She currently teaches young dancers and has also instructed Paula Abdul, a former Los Angeles Lakers dancer.

Married to former NBA player

Debbie Allen is married to former NBA player Norm Nixon, and Norm Nixon also played in the NBA. They initially came into contact in the 1979 movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, which also starred NBA players Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon are pictured at the “Carousel of Possible Dreams” event to support the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and the “Art of Elysium.”
Citation: Zimbo

They dated for five years before getting married in 1984. Currently, the pair is commemorating 35 years of marriage.

32nd Wedding Anniversary Grand Celebration

The sweetest way was used by Norm Nixon and Debbie Allen to commemorate their 32nd wedding anniversary. After they uploaded their dancing video to Debbie’s Instagram, the internet crashed. On July 19, 2016, Debbie and Norman celebrated their 69th and 63rd wedding anniversaries, respectively.

In order to record the occasion, the couple rented a yacht in Marina del Rey and used the hashtag #WhiteParty. The majority of their family members and friends, including the cast of Debbie’s Dance Academy and Wesley Snipes, came to the party.

At a gathering were Debbie Allen, her husband Norm Nixon, their daughter, and their son.
Image of Debbie and her family
Associated Press

They have three children together thanks to their 35-year marriage. Vivian Nixon, her eldest child, is an actress and dancer. She made her Broadway debut as Kalimba in the musical Hot Feet. The couple has two sons: DeVaughn Nixon, the youngest, and Norm E. Nixon Jr., the oldest of whom plays basketball. The five-person family leads a comfortable existence.

Past relationships and marriage

Debbie was previously married to Win Wilford in 1975 before getting hitched to NBA star. Win, her ex-husband, had served as head of CBS Records and the Epic Label. They were married for eight years until divorcing each other in 1983. They didn’t have any children together during their partnership.

Awards and Honors

President George W. Bush appointed Debbie to the President’s Committee on the Humanities and Arts in 2001. Due to her services to the television business, she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6904 Hollywood in 1991.

Photo: Debbie holding her 42nd Annual Gracie Awards trophy
Obtainable images

She has won three Emmy Awards in the best choreographer category. Additionally, she received 10 Image Awards for Fame as an actress, director, producer, and choreographer. On February 4, 2009, Nia Peeples gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her achievements to dance.

Also Read Tana Mongeau Career

Career

Allen began her career in Broadway theatre by appearing in the chorus of Purlie in 1970. However, Allen made her mainstream tv debut in the CBS sitcom series “Good Times” in 1976. Likewise, the actress made her feature film debut in 1979, playing a supporting character in the comedy movie “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh”.

However, her big break came when she was portrayed as Lydia Grant in the movie “Fame” in 1980.   despite having a small role, Lydia became a central player in the tv adaptation, which aired from 1982 to 1987. Allen eventually became the first Black woman ever to receive a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series.

Subsequently, Allen decided to concentrate on working as a choreographer since she had always enjoyed dancing when she was a youngster. Following that, Allen choreographed Stephen King’s “Carrie” for the 1988 Musical adaptation. In addition, the performer also seems to have two great solo albums, Sweet Charity (1986) and Special Look (1989), both of which spawned multiple successes. She also directed the musical picture ‘Polly’ that year.

The multitalented, Allen choreographed The Academy Award Ceremony for ten years. Afterward, Allen established the ‘Debbie Allen Dance Academy’ in Los Angeles in 2001, where she still instructs young dancers. She notably coached  Paula Abdul, a former Los Angeles Lakers dancer-turned-singer.

She recently directed the Netflix musical film Christmas on the Square, starring Dolly Parton in 2020.

What is the Net Worth of Debbie?

Debbie Allen has a $3 million net worth. She receives a considerable amount of compensation because she is a talented personality in the entertainment world. Debbie also established the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, a non-profit, which most likely obtains funding as a result of her social concern.

Allen, the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, rose to stardom after acting alongside Carlo Imperato, Gene Anthony Ray, and Tony Rader in the television series Fame.

Debbie and her husband are currently residing in a 6,516 square foot, 6-bedroom, 3-bathroom mansion in Santa Monica, California that was built in 1926. In addition, she enjoys a huge social media following. Her Twitter account has 399 thousand followers, and her Instagram account has 1.2 million.

How wealthy is Debbie’s spouse?

The estimated $14 million net worth of Debbie’s husband is comparable to that of American actress Caitlin Dechelle. Nixon spent twelve seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clipper and Los Angeles Lakers.

With the Lakers, Nixon has two championship titles to his name. The average salary for NBA players, according to the internet source, is $2 million. He received full pay as a result of his skill and expertise in the industry.

Challenges with Racism

Allen had a lifelong passion for dance and auditioned first at Houston Ballet Academy at the age of twelve, making her among the few African American dancers for doing so. Despite exceeding the admission requirements, she was refused due to her skin color.

Similarly, the actress encountered racism once more in the field of ballet when the North Carolina School of the Arts told her that her body was not appropriate for ballet, even though she was a very skilled dancer.

These encounters prompted Allen to devote more time to her studies as well as other artistic endeavors.

What is the Height and weight of Debbie?

Actress Debbie Allen was born on 16th January 1950, and according to her birthdate, she is currently 72 years old. In terms of height, she stands at 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) tall and weighs approximately 65 kg (143 lbs.). In addition, Debbie’s hair is brown, and her eyes are Light brown.

Despite being 72 years old, she has kept her physique in good shape, with a body measurement of 35 inches of breast size, 28 inches of waist size, and 36 inches of hip size. Moving further, Debbie’s Zodiac Sign is Capricorn, indicating that he is inclined to be passionate and fearless. They are also quite energetic and can act rapidly. However, Allen’s shoe size is 8 (US) and her dress size is 6 (US).

Social Media

Debbie Allen is relatively active on various social media platforms including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Instagram2.4M followers

Facebook: 1.4M followers

Twitter: 557K followers

YouTube3.29K subscribers