Editing Debbie Allen (section)

{{short description|American actress and dancer (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = 
| image              = DebbieAllen-byPhilipRomano.jpg
| caption            = Allen in 2025
| birthname          = Deborah Kaye Allen
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1950|01|16}}
| birth_place        = [[Houston, Texas]], U.S.
| occupation         = Actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, television director, television producer
| yearsactive        = 1968–present
| education          = [[Howard University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Win Wilford|1975|1983|end=divorce}}
* {{marriage|[[Norm Nixon]]|1984|}}
|2002
}}
| children           = 3, including [[Vivian Nixon]]
| relatives          = [[Phylicia Rashad]] (sister)<br/> [[Condola Rashad]] (niece)
| website            = {{URL|http://www.debbieallendanceacademy.com|Debbie Allen Dance Academy}}<br>{{URL|https://twitter.com/msdebbieallen|Debbie Allen Twitter}}
}}

'''Deborah Kaye Allen''' (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the [[President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Current Members |url=http://www.pcah.gov/currentmembers.htm |publisher=President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities |access-date=August 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050116013127/http://www.pcah.gov/currentmembers.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2005 }}</ref><ref>
{{cite web|title=Debbie Allen, Culver City, California |url=http://www.pcah.gov/bios/debbie_allen.html |publisher=President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities |year=2008 |access-date=August 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117003910/http://www.pcah.gov/bios/debbie_allen.html |archive-date=January 17, 2009 }}</ref> She has been nominated 20 times for an [[Emmy Award]] (winning five),<ref name=emmys>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/debbie-allen|title=Debbie Allen|website=Television Academy|access-date=March 9, 2020|archive-date=May 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525012339/https://www.emmys.com/bios/debbie-allen|url-status=live}}</ref> and two [[Tony Award]]s.<ref name=tonyaw/> She has won a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Award]],<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/debbie-allen|title=Debbie Allen|website=www.goldenglobes.com|access-date=March 9, 2020|archive-date=May 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505083446/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/debbie-allen|url-status=live}}</ref> and received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1991.

Allen is best known for her work in the musical-drama television series [[Fame (1982 TV series)|''Fame'']] (1982–1987), where she portrayed dance teacher Lydia Grant, and served as the series' principal choreographer. For this role in 1983, she received a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy]] and two [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography|Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography]] and was nominated for four [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series|Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series]]. Allen later began working as director and producer, most notably producing and directing 83 of 144 episodes of the NBC comedy series ''[[A Different World]]'' (1988–1993). She returned to acting, playing the leading role in the NBC sitcom ''[[In the House (TV series)|In the House]]'' from 1995 to 1996, and in 2011, began playing Dr. Catherine Avery in the ABC medical drama ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' also serving as an executive producer/director.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/05/debbie-allen-greys-anatomy-executive-producer-director-1201421336/|title=Debbie Allen To Serve As Executive Producer/Director On 'Grey's Anatomy'|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|date=May 6, 2015|access-date=March 9, 2020|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729064758/https://deadline.com/2015/05/debbie-allen-greys-anatomy-executive-producer-director-1201421336/|url-status=live}}</ref> She has directed more than 50 television and film productions.

In 2001, Allen opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wavenewspapers.com/black-history-profile-debbie-allen-born-to-dance/|title=Black History Profile: Debbie Allen, 'Born To Dance'|last=Gibson|first=Cynthia|date=February 19, 2016|website=Los Angeles Wave|language=en-US|access-date=January 16, 2020|archive-date=September 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907111414/http://wavenewspapers.com/black-history-profile-debbie-allen-born-to-dance/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="deLuna2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/life/article/Houston-born-actress-and-choreographer-Debbie-13535035.php|title=Houston-born actress and choreographer Debbie Allen turns 69|last=de Luna|first=Marcy|date=January 15, 2019|website=Houston Chronicle|access-date=January 16, 2020}}</ref> where she currently teaches young dancers. She also taught choreography to former [[Los Angeles Lakers]] dancer-turned-singer, [[Paula Abdul]]. She is the younger sister of actress/director/singer [[Phylicia Rashad]].