Desire: Making Your Dreams Come True

Who knew a poor child from a broken home would become one of the most famous singers and choreographers of all time? At the age of four, after seeing Gene Kelly perform "Singing in the Rain" on television, Paula Abdul began dreaming about a career in song and dance. She began taking ballet lessons when she was only seven years old. Her mother knew nothing about it, and the lessons were provided free of charge in exchange for cleaning the floors and mirrors of the dance studio.

Paula Abdul began choreographing musicals when she was five years old, before ever taking any classes. From her condominium, she would conduct neighborhood friends and invite adults to watch her shows. Paula would practice dancing while her mother cooked by holding onto the kitchen sink.

Her mother was always encouraging, but in a tough sort of way. Her mother would remind Paula of the heartache she had seen while working as a personal assistant to Billy Wilder. Girls' dreams were frequently shattered. Paula knew if she was to be successful, she'd have to find success on her own.

During high school, Paula Abdul was accepted to Juilliard on a dance scholarship, but after one trip to New York, she knew that wasn't the life she wanted to lead. She wanted to dance, but she couldn't get a job unless she had an agent. She was teaching cheerleading camps, so she decided to try out for the Los Angeles Lakers' Cheerleading Squad, even though she didn't have the body of a typical cheerleader.

Out of nearly 1000 auditioning, Paula Abdul was chosen for one of only 12 spots as a Laker Girl. In her rookie year, Paula was asked to take over and form a dance squad. When season ticket holders saw the changes Paula had made to the squad, they started calling her for corporate events.

Paula Abdul eventually landed movie roles such as "The African Anteater Dance" seen in "Can't Buy Me Love" with Patrick Dempsey, and at the age of 17, she began choreographing for the Jackson Five. Paula won a choreography award for her work with ZZ Top and Duran Duran. She went on to work with most of the major recording artists of that era choreographing their tours, videos, and live performances.

Paula Abdul finally got to work with her idol Gene Kelly during the last two years of his life. At the same time, she choreographed the Academy Awards and received an Emmy nomination. In secret, not wanting to give up her day job as a choreographer, Paula began making her mark on recording industry only to become a superstar all over again. One of her biggest hits was a song called "Straight Up."

After a plane crash in 1995, Paula Abdul disappeared for a while so she could focus on her health and rehabilitation of injuries. Today, Paula can be seen right along side Simon Cowell on the hit reality television show "American Idol" in which thousands of singers are auditioned down to just one winner. Paula is the judge with a heart who gives constructive criticism in a positive way. She also wrote the foreword of the book "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul."

Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com

Are you learny to be inspired? To learn more about Paula's life and her fantastic inspiration and encouragement, visit Paula Abdul

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated