Deneen Graham

Deneen Zezell Graham Kerns (born 1964) 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 remained the only African-American to have won the Miss North Carolina pageant until Alexandra Badgett was crowned in 2019.[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

Dance
  • 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
  1. "Deneen Zezell Graham-Kerns". Wilkes County Hall of Fame.
  2. "Deneen Graham-Kerns here Sunday". Journal Patriot.
  3. "Archived version of official website". www.gregkerns.com. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  4. "Miss North Carolina 1983". Miss NC.
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