Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul was raised in San Fernando Valley. She started dancing when she was eight. She was a student at Van Nuys High School, where she was senior class president and head cheerleader. After graduating in 1980, she began college at Cal State-Northridge, studying radio and TV. After joining the L.A. Lakers cheerleaders, she became head cheerleader/choreographer after only a few months, eventually dropping out of college to dance and choreograph full-time. The Jacksons hired her to choreograph their 1984 movie "Torture" that was the first in a lengthy series of movies and video she choreographed. She started singing with her first CD, "Forever Your Girl" with a mediocre sales performance until her hit single "Straight Up" exploded onto the charts in December of 1988. she has been a renowned dancer ever since, aided by her stint as an adjudicator on the popular show American Idol (2002). Her father (Harry Abdul) is Sephardic Jewish and hails from Syria. Her mother, who is also Jewish was born in Canada. Her parents were born in Canada, Brazil, Syria and Brazil. This diversity of background has led to various stories being told in the media regarding her nationality or religion. She is the daughter of Harry Abdul, a former Brazil-based livestock trader, as well as Lorainne Abdul, a former assistant to Billy Wilder in film direction. She's been dancing and singing since she was just seven years old, while on the road in America. She was enrolled in tap dance classes too, which is how she received a scholarship to tap dancing classes. In the following years, she went to Cal State Northridge College where she majored as an Broadcast radio specialist. She was a candidate to be a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers NBA Basketball Cheerleading team.