10 Things You Didn't Know About Debbie Allen

Dynamic factoids about Debbie Allen.

Debbie Allen - @msdebbieallen: RIP Etta James!! (Photo: Todd Williamson/WireImage)

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Debbie Allen, a Woman We Love 

Talent Is in Her Blood  - Allen is the third child of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vivian Ayers and dentist Arthur Allen, and she also has a famous sibling — Phylicia Rashad.  (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET)

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Talent Is in Her Blood 

Worldly Diva  - Allen's mother moved she and her siblings to Mexico shortly after divorcing their father. They didn't know anyone in Mexico, nor did they speak Spanish. It was to escape racial tension in the United States and simply because their mom often encouraged her children to be creative and free in living out their dreams.  (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images for DADA)

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Worldly Diva 

Back in the States  - The family returned Stateside after about two years. It was then that 12-year-old Allen auditioned for the Houston Ballet School but got denied based on the color of her skin — despite the fact that her performance was good enough for admission.   (Photo: Cory Schwartz/Getty Images)

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Back in the States 

Photo By Photo: Cory Schwartz/Getty Images

Still Winning  - A year after that denial, a Russian instructor at the school who saw Debbie perform secretly enrolled her. By the time the admissions department discovered the situation, they were so impressed with her skills that they let Allen stay. (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Dizzy Feet Foundation)

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Still Winning 

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The Rest Is History  - Allen went on to earn a BFA at Howard University.  (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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The Rest Is History 

The Break Through  - Her break through role came in 1980, after starring in a Broadway revival of West Side Story as Anita, a performance that earned her a Tony Award nomination.  (Photo: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank) 

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The Break Through 

Going Up  - She then starred in the 1980 TV series Fame as a dance teacher. She went on to snag three Emmy Awards for choreography for the show and do other film and TV appearances.   (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Going Up 

Photo By Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Dancing Diva - Allen's choreography was also featured at the Oscars over the course of a few years. (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

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Dancing Diva

Dynamic Production  - In 1997, she produced Steven Spielberg's epic Amistad.  (Photo: EDO /Landov)

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Dynamic Production 

One Direction  - She also went on to direct, produce and choreograph several films and plays. Most recently, she directed an episode of Shonda Rhimes's How to Get Away With Murder.  (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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One Direction