Deneen Graham
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Deneen Zezell Graham Kerns (born 1964)[citation needed] is a dance teacher and pageant contestant from North Carolina. In 1983 she became the first African-American to win the Miss North Carolina beauty pageant; she remains the only African-American to have won the Miss North Carolina pageant.[1]
Personal life
Graham was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. In 1986, she graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. She traveled to the Mediterranean, Far East, and Alaska with the Department of Defense Entertainment Tours, and toured the United States with the first national tour of the musical Heartstrings.[2] She appeared in "Theatre of the Stars" productions of such musicals as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, South Pacific, Hello, Dolly!, The Music Man, and The Will Rogers Follies. As a performer with the Miss Georgia pageant from 1988-94, she served as co-choreographer and chief choreographer. She was also a member of the Atlanta Hawks Dance Team (Cheerleaders) during the 1994 season; she served as the assistant to the dance team choreographer.[2]
She is a member of the Dance Masters of America. Many of her students at Carol Walker Dance Academy have received the highest awards in regional and national competitions, and the academy's dance team are currently (as of 2008) National Dance Champions.[2][3]
Pageants
- Miss Georgia pageant performer
- Miss North Carolina 1983[4]
- Participant in Miss America 1984 pageant
Dance
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (June 2017) |
- Fine Arts degree
- Broadway shows
- Choreographers of performances on Broadway and Miss Georgia Organization pageants
- Atlanta Hawks Dance Team
- Artistic Director of Dancers Company One
- Member of Dance Masters of America
- Choreographed many productions on Broadway and television
- Appeared and choreographed, as lead dancer, in hundreds of movies
References
- ^ "Deneen Zezell Graham-Kerns". Wilkes County Hall of Fame.
- ^ a b c "Deneen Graham-Kerns here Sunday". Journal Patriot.
- ^ "Archived version of official website". www.gregkerns.com. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- ^ "Miss North Carolina 1983". Miss NC.
- 1964 births
- Living people
- African-American actresses
- American actresses
- African-American choreographers
- American choreographers
- African-American female dancers
- African-American female models
- African-American models
- American cheerleaders
- American female dancers
- Dancers from North Carolina
- Female models from North Carolina
- Miss America 1980s delegates
- Miss North Carolina winners
- National Basketball Association cheerleaders
- People from North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumni