Allegra Kent [own] parents. She borrowed a neighbor's working papers and took a job at twelve. By fourteen, she was teaching ballroom dancing at night in someone's private home, mostly to Japanese men". Born in Santa Monica, Kent studied with Bronislava Nijinska and Carmelita Maracci before joining the School of American Ballet. She discovered music and dance at the age of 7 and enjoyed both, but she was 11 before she took her first ballet lesson. She had completely flat feet as a little girl and consulted a doctor, who prescribed wedges in her shoes to give her arches. She then began
MS Costa Allegra being delivered in July 1990 as "Costa Marina". Following this Costa Crociere acquired "Alexandra" on 28 August 1990 for conversion into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the same shipyard that had rebuilt "Costa Marina". Work on "Alexandra" commenced on 4 September 1990. She received an entirely new superstructure in the same style as that of "Costa Marina", as well as new engines. However, unlike "Costa Marina", "Alexandra" was also lengthened by when rebuilt. Although originally planned to be renamed "Costa Azzurra", the ship was eventually named "Costa Allegra" and delivered to Costa Cruises on