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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 a couple of years before her first dance class. She conducted children in her neighborhood and then invited adults to watch her shows. To practice, she held onto the kitchen sink as a ballet bar while her mother cooked.

Paula Abdul’s mother was encouraging, but in a realistic sort of way. She was always very upfront about the hardships of life as a performer. She frequently saw dreams shattered in young girls while working as a personal assistant for Billy Wilder. Paula knew that she would have to work alone to find success as a performer.

Paula Abdul was accepted to Juilliard on a dance scholarship while she was still in high school. After traveling to New York for the first time, she decided she didn’t want to live that sort of life. She knew she wanted to dance, but to get a dancing career, she would have to have an agent. While teaching at cheerleading camps, she decided to try out for a spot as a Laker Girl for the Los Angeles Lakers. She knew competition would be tough, because 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 went on to choreograph for movies and music. She started out with a movie called “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and when she was only 17 years old, she began working with the Jackson Five. Paula received choreography awards choreographing the musical groups ZZ Top and Duran Duran. In turn, she worked with almost all of the big-name artists of the time choreographing their tours, videos, and live performances.

Paula Abdul even got to work with her Gene Kelly, her idol since childhood, during the last two years of his life. During the same year, she was chosen to choreograph the Academy Awards, and she received an Emmy nomination. In secret, so not to give up choreography job leads, Paula began making recordings starting with a song called “Straight Up.” Her voice became one of the hottest in her time.

Paula Abdul disappeared in 1995. She was in a plane crash, but paid off the media not to release the story. She needed time to focus on her health without putting her career in danger. Today, Paula can be seen with Simon Cowell on the hit reality television show “American Idol.” Thousands of singers are dwindled down to just one winner through public auditions. Paula is considered the “judge with a heart” next to the often blunt Simon Cowell. She likes to give constructive criticism in a positive way. You can read Paula’s foreword in the book “Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul.”