Debbie Allen

I was first introduced to Imagination Celebration Fort Worth and Ginger Head through Derek Gordon- then Vice President of Education at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1997. Ginger was hoping that I would give my blessing to her for Imagination Celebration Fort Worth to produce my production of “Pepito’s Story” in Fort Worth, Texas as part of the opening season of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in 1998. It was to be the first program attended by school children in the magnificent new performance hall.

The reputation of Imagination Celebration Fort Worth in the arts and education community, as well as in the dance community had preceded my first meeting with Ginger. In my many years of work with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, I had heard that Imagination Celebration Fort Worth was known nationally for its inspiration of many Texas teachers, students, and communities through its innovative arts and education programs and that it was – and remains recognized as a model for our nation by its parent association, the Kennedy Center, as well as across the borders of Mexico.

I indeed gave my blessing to allow Imagination Celebration Fort Worth to locally produce Pepito’s Story at the Bass Hall. Under the creative direction of Ginger Head, the locally produced “Pepito’s Story” was performed. The handling of the major auditions, the casting call of 900 wonderfully brave young Texas children proved irreplaceable to me. From that magnanimous effort, the show was a great success!

Following that success Ginger and I have created the “Imagination Celebration Debbie Allen Dance Institute” - now in its 11th year. The template of this Institute has further precipitated my career by leaps and bounds to open the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.

I personally could not have initiated or completed this collaborative success story without Ginger Head and Imagination Celebration Fort Worth. Imagination Celebration’s over 20 years of touching the lives of thousands of children through its arts, cultural, and dance programs have been a great asset to me, the State of Texas, and the world.

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