Raised by her mother as a "child of the universe", Debbie Allen had been taught to let her imagination soar, and the more she did so, the less would be her limitations.

With an obvious talent, and an innate passion to succeed as a future dancer, the young girl had no hesitation in applying for entry into the Houston Ballet Foundation. Unfortunately, in the segregated southern US, she did not have the requisite complexion to fit the standard concept of a ballet dancer.

It was a similar story at the North Carolina School of the Arts, by which time Miss Allen's mother, a "Dorothy Dandridge-beautiful", cultured woman who was a concert pianist, writer and poet and whose first book of poetry was nominated for a Pulitzer prize, had had enough of racism, so she packed up Debbie and her other daughter, Phylicia, and moved to Mexico City.

"That's the kind of woman my mamma was. She was determined that her children would get opportunities to develop," Miss Allen recalls. "I studied and went to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the centre for the performing arts, so we got to see everything. You looked up and realised that the world is a very large place and a very small place, and that 'change' is a good word in the universe."

And so it proved in Houston where the dancer again applied and was accepted into the Houston Ballet Foundation ? the first person of colour in its history, and the first of many milestones Miss Allen would create in a highly successful career that is driven by the premise that everyone is "a child of the universe", including people of African descent, and their stories need to be told.

The 1997 movie 'Amistad' is a case in point. It took the first African-American woman to produce a major movie 18 years to have its story of the slave trade told on celluloid.

"Slavery is a very unsettling conversation to have in American, or anywhere in the world. It is something people are still uncomfortable talking about," Miss Allen says. "The movie was as controversial as the incident it portrayed. There were people who were angered that a white man was telling a black story. That became an issue, which was stupid."

Instead, the woman who has consistently pushed aside racial barriers in her career, remained unbowed in her choice of Steven Spielberg as the movie's director.

"When I saw 'Schindler's List' I knew he would be the man to get it. He is my brother for life. Steven is very powerful, and his creativity overrules any fear of bureaucracy or bulls***. That is to be honoured, and he is amazing that way."

In any case Miss Allen sees the controversy her movie generated as something positive.

"It makes people think, talk, argue, and stand up and say something rather than remaining silent. I think, as a director, I should be able to direct anything. Is my experience only black? No it is not. There are some experiences which are human, and translate from one culture to another. That is what is so wonderful about the arts. If you are coming from where you are coming from, that is where you should be."

Saying that the "separation of black and white is just not true any more" Miss Allen noted that some of her family members were dark skinned while others were fair, and Indian, African, Jewish were all a part of her heritage. As charming as she is forthright, the hugely successful dancer, actress, choreographer, producer/director and writer is as much in demand today as she was when she first started out in show biz, and indeed it would take a book, rather than newspaper feature, to cover even a percentage of her accomplishments.

(See various web sites for full details).

Following her time at Howard University, where she studied classical Greek literature and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Miss Allen began her show biz career on Broadway in the 1970s with her debut in the chorus of 'Purlie' and her performance in 'Raisin', the musical version of 'Raisin in the Sun'.

"It was exciting to be on Broadway ? a dream come true. I had worked hard for it, but when it happened it was pretty amazing," she recalls. "I remember the opening night of 'Raisin' where I had my first real role on Broadway, and my dad was in the audience. I stayed with the show for two years."

Years later, her sister Phylicia would become the first black actress to win a Tony for 'Best Actress in Drama' in the same role of Mamma in the eponymous play. As the career unfolded, Miss Allen won or was nominated for countless Tony and other awards, and transitioned from stage to television, ultimately directing and producing. She received two honorary doctorates, one from Howard and the second from the North Carolina School of the Arts, which had also rejected her on the basis of her race many years before.

The musical 'Fame' is perhaps one of her greatest successes because, as she has travelled the world since she has been amazed at how the spin-off television series of the same name became a world wide hit.

"The TV series was phenomenal. It impacted the entire world. To this day, when I get to a certain place it just goes crazy. It is amazing the impact the media has, and how it can really translate. 'Fame' and 'A Different World', another series I did, tripled enrolment at historically black schools because all of a sudden people said, 'Wow, it might be fun to go to school'."

In fact, that is the precisely the reaction Miss Allen seeks because she is very passionate about young people becoming involved in the arts, especially dance, and exploring their own creativity ? something she describes as a "God-given gift" of every human being.

It is also why she opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in California six years ago, a non-profit organisation offering a comprehensive curriculum for boys and girls aged four to 18 in all of the major dance techniques, including classical ballet, modern, African, Jazz and hip-hop. Special workshops are also held in martial arts dance techniques, flamenco, salsa and tap.

Following the same principles instilled in her as a student at the Houston Ballet Foundation, she only accepts students who are committed to the art of dance and prepared to put in long hours of training every day after school.

Depending on their level of training, students attend classes from 12 a week to three for the "babies".

"You cannot create a dancer if they don't train every day. It will never happen. I run a training academy as opposed to a dance school," Miss Allen says.

She does not enter her students in dance competitions, but aims instead to "get them up and out in the world" with a curriculum which takes into consideration the changing language of dance. "As new ballets are emerging, the language is more comprehensive, and the modern vocabulary, and even the African styles, are coming together, so dancers have to be prepared for that. In my school we offer a comprehensive vocabulary which starts with ballet plus other things that will help them."

The Academy's faculty includes instructors from such legendary institutions as the Kirov Ballet and the Peking Opera, and Miss Allen also plays an active role in each student's progress through her own hands-on instruction.

Some of the Academy's former students have gone on to great things. Daughter Vivian is on Broadway, another is the gazelle in 'The Lion King', a third is the lead dancer in Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, and Chris Nobles won an international ballet competition. One of her youngest teachers is now choreographing for Nellie Furtado and Sean (Puffy) Coombs.

"You can't do that with a dance school," the owner quips.

As a non-profit organisation, fund-raising is always an issue, and takes up much of Miss Allen's time, but it is her passion for dance that drives her on.

"Dance has got to resonate again," she vows.

Meanwhile, as a writer she is busy preparing a new piece called 'Alex in Wonderland' for an April 6 opening at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which is "about a boy who does not want to write his essay on children's literature and discovers the importance of fairy tales". Previous publications include 'Dancing in the Wings' and 'Brothers of the Knight', both of which are dance-related.

Despite the many, many successes of her varied career, which include choreographing for ten Academy Award ceremonies, Miss Allen is, first and foremost, a wife and mother of three. Married to Norman Nixon, a former NBA player, in addition to Vivian and Phylicia, who have followed her into show biz, son Norman Junior was also in one of her films, 'Life is not a Fairytale', and is currently a student at Wofford College in South Carolina.

"I love my kids more than anybody in world," she smiles. "My favourite people are my kids, my sister and my family."

Miss Allen is also immensely proud of her 83-year old mother, whom she says is "still running everything". "There is no retirement in sight for 'Miss Vivian, the Renaissance woman', so I can't think about it either."

Asked how she would like to be remembered, the indefatigable lady gathers her colourful outfit about her and says, "As a woman who inspired creativity in young people around the world."

And her advice to the young?

"If you can dream you can be."

The same credo by which she has always steered her own star, of course.