From Shondaland, the Netflix documentary film Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker shines a light on the work of trailblazing icon Debbie Allen and her reimagining of the classic ballet performed annually by the gifted students of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA).
Over the last 50 years, Allen’s incredible career has spanned the spectrum of the arts – from acting in, choreographing, and directing the iconic series Fame, to her prolific work directing, producing, choreographing, dancing, and writing for film, television, and theatre – garnering her Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and multiple Tony nominations in the process.
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker features intimate interviews with Allen, her family, DADA’s world class dance instructors, and her inspirational students, and provides fascinating insights into Allen’s own personal journey pursuing an art form where she did not always see herself reflected in its imagery.
The film also offers front row access to the grueling rehearsals, the passion and leadership of Allen and DADA’s dance instructors, and the huge commitment and undertaking by the dancers of all ages and backgrounds who come to train at the academy each year regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances or traditional expectations of the dance community. Rehearsed for just over three months, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker has become a staple holiday performance in Los Angeles and the largest fundraising event on the school’s calendar.
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker launches November 27 on Netflix.