Sassy, fearful of not being good, dances in the wings and waits for the right opportunity to make her debut, thus when the director of a dance festival comes to town, Sassy decides that the time has come and makes her presence known to all. - (Baker & Taylor)

Sassy tries out for a summer dance festival in Washington, D.C., despite the other girls' taunts that she is much too tall. - (Baker & Taylor)

Sassy worries that her too-large feet, too-long legs, and even her big mouth will keep her from her dream of becoming a star ballerina. So for now she's just dancing in the wings, watching from behind the curtain, and hoping that one day it will be her turn to shimmer in the spotlight. When the director of an important dance festival comes to audition her class, Sassy's first attempts to get his attention are, well, a little wobbly. But Sassy just knows, somehow, that this is her time to step out from those wings, and make her mark on the world. Actress/choreographer Debbie Allen and Kadir Nelson collaborated on Brothers of the Knight, about which School Library Journal raved, "the strutting high-stepping brothers are full of individuality, attitude, and movement." - (Penguin Putnam)

Actor, director, dancer/choreographer and singer, Debbie Allen's career has touched nearly every facet of the entertainment industry.

Allen's Broadway career as a dancer, singer and actor began in the chorus of "Purlie". She next appeared in "Raisin", then in the 1979 production West Side Story", for which she won a prestigious Drama Desk Award, as well as, her first Tony Award nomination. Allen received another Tony Award nomination in 1986 for her role as Bob Fosse's "Sweet Charity".

Allen's choreography career soared in 1980 with the international hit TV series "Fame". In 1988 she went behind the scenes to choreograph the new American Musical "Carrie with the Royal Shakespeare Company" and has continued to devote herself to that discipline. She holds the distinction of having choreographed the Academy Awards for five consecutive years. Allen collaborated with James Ingram to create "Brothers of the Knight" which played at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in the spring of 1998.

As Resident Director of the hit television series "Fame", in which she also starred, Allen went on to direct episodes of "Family Ties", "Bronx Zoo", "A Different World" and the pilot for "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", which she also produced. Her work with made-for-television movies, such as Disney's "Polly" and CBS's "Stompin at the Savoy" earned a reputation as one of the most sought after directors in Hollywood.

Recently, she directed the Martin Luther King special, entitled "One Day" for the Disney Channel as well as the critically acclaimed "Linc's Place" for Showtime.

Allen received international recognition as producer of Steven Spielberg's breathtaking "Amistad" As an actress, Allen received three Emmy Award nominations and one Golden Globe for her role as Lydia Grant in "Fame" She also received favorable notices for her role as Deloris Jordan in Fox Family Channels "Michael Jordan: An American Hero" and as Richard Pryor's feisty wife in the semi-autobiographical film "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling."

Other feature films to her credit include Milo Forman's "Ragtime" and "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh". This year she amazed audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in "Harriet's Return" at the Geffen Playhouse.

Some of Allen's many honors include Essence Awards in 1992 and 1995, the first Lena Horne Award for Career Achievement at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and two honorary doctorates, one from the North Carolina School of the Arts and the other from her alma mater, Howard University.

Allen currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Norman Nixon, and their two children, Vivian Nichole and Norman Jr.

Books by Debbie Allen:

Brothers of the Night
Dancing in the Wings
Amistad: Give us Free

Booklist Reviews

Ages 5-8. Though tall and lanky for a ballerina, Sassy loves to dance and dreams of performing on stage. She is hurt when a classmate refers to her as "tyrannosaurus," but heartened by her Uncle Redd's belief that she's so tall and pretty, "All you gotta do to make your mark on the world is walk into a room." At an audition for a summer dance festival, a Russian ballet master echoes the same sentiment, choosing Sassy for the festival. The closing pages show her onstage, in the spotlight, partnered by an even taller young man. One of the few ballet books featuring an African American protagonist, this story echoes the dreams and fears of many young dancers. The artwork, using oil paints over pencil drawings, is sometimes exaggerated in expression or gesture, but clearly shows the characters' attitudes and emotions. Both text and illustrations portray family relationships deftly and with touches of humor. A lively picture book for aspiring dancers. --Carolyn PhelanCopyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Taller than everyone else in her class, Sassy has big feet and sometimes a big mouth. All that does not stop her from wanting to be a ballet dancer, and her persistence is rewarded when she is chosen for a special summer dance program. Allen's dialogue is realistic, and Nelson's illustrations of the predominantly African-American cast ably capture Sassy's love of dance and her lively personality. Copyright 2001 Horn Book Guide Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Dancer-choreographer Allen (of Fame fame) joins forces again with Nelson (Big Jabe, p. 565) in their second dance-themed picture book, following Brothers of the Knight (1999). Sassy is a tall African-American girl of middle-school age, a serious ballet student with extra-long legs, extra-big feet, and an extra-sassy manner of speaking that earned her the unusual nickname. She bickers with her brother, trading mean-spirited insults about his big head and her big feet, and snaps out sassy retorts to snide comments from her teacher and the more petite dancers in her ballet classes. Because of her height, Sassy is not allowed to participate in her school's dance recitals—a most unlikely situation at any ballet school in the US. Despite this lack of performing experience (and despite wearing a non-regulation, sunshine-yellow leotard to the audition with a strict Russian ballet master), Sassy wins a competition to attend a summer dance program in Washington, D.C. She finally finds her way into the spotlight there, dancing with a boy who is taller than even she is. Some of Nelson's illustrations would have benefited from tighter art direction: the height of the Russian ballet master seems variable from page to page and the dance shoes and positions of the feet are sometimes not quite correct. Despite these minor flaws, Sassy is an appealing girl with attitude who learns to accept her less-than-perfect physical features and make the best of her talents. Little girls who long for pretty tutus and pointe shoes of their own will like this sassy lassie. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright 2000 Kirkus Reviews

Publishers Weekly Reviews

The creators of Brothers of the Knight here offer an inspirational story of a hopeful young ballet dancer who complains of her too-big feet and too-long legs: "I was too big for the boys to pick up, and too tall to be in line with the other girls. So I watched from backstage, dancing in the wings, hoping that if I just kept dancing and trying, it would be my turn to dance in the spotlight." Though her brother and several of her peers constantly razz her, Sassy's uncle encourages her to audition for a role in a summer dance festival, asserting, "All you gotta do to make your mark on the world is walk into a room." The director of the festival echoes this sentiment when he announces in the book's foreseeable denouement that Sassy has landed a place in his program. Allen's wordy narrative occasionally tries too hard to be hip (featuring such slang put-downs as "Your mama" and "Talk to the hand"), but this tale may well boost the confidence of youngsters who share Sassy's lack of self-assuredness. Nelson's animated illustrations depict Sassy with a grace that belies her self-image and that effectively foreshadows the accolades to come. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

PW called this tale of a hopeful young ballet dancer who complains of her too-big feet and too-long legs "inspirational," adding that "Nelson depicts the heroine with a grace that belies her self-image." Ages 4-8. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 2-This charming picture book focuses on the world of ballet classes, and children's cruelty toward those who are different. Sassy loves to dance but she is tall, gangly, and has really big feet. Her desire to perform is her strongest asset. When she soars through the air in a giant leap, she feels like she can do anything. Sassy does indeed live up to her name. This African-American child is fresh, she is innovative-she wears a bright yellow leotard to stand out in the crowd-and she is determined. The story is sure to build self-esteem in those readers who can empathize with Sassy and they'll cheer when she takes center stage in a dance festival in the nation's capital. Nelson's artwork conveys Sassy's spirit and captures well the expressions of her smug, mocking classmates. A great read-aloud.-Kay Bowes, Concord Pike Library, Wilmington, DE Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.