My name is Deborah Hall and I am currently a junior studying Musical Theater at Columbia. I’m from Chicago, where there are many different opportunities in the city to practice the arts. My interest in performance started when my mother took me to her dance classes at a young age, just to observe everything. I started dancing at my church when I was 4 years old and singing at the age of 12. Eventually, my experience broadened to include performances at a number of large scale events, as well as my first musical, Legally Blonde, in high school.

There are three people who have been my biggest inspirations in dance: my own mother (Lolisa Hall), Debbie Allen, and Laurieann Gibson. With all three artists, I’ve watched over the years of how passionate they were for their craft.

Coming to Columbia as a freshman, I had no formal training in dance except for some jazz, modern, and hip-hop. Once I was officially enrolled, I started training more in ballet, jazz, and tap. I also have taken private singing lessons at Columbia, following up and studying different vocal singers, including Ella Fitzgerald and Liza Minnelli. Theater was also something I’m considering for my future, starting with doing plays and musicals while in high school. From the time I started going to Columbia, I have grown so much in all three fields, giving me much more confidence than I had before.