The Netflix Original Documentary, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is a Shondaland project that is available now to watch on Netflix. Houston’s own Debbie Allen gives us a phenomenal behind the scenes look into the world of dance from an African-American perspective while highlighting the tedious discipline of an art form that is forever life-changing.
Viewers will witness how the Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s (DADA) students and instructors, along with Ms. Allen, play a pivotal role in developing this annual fundraiser that gives back to the community in which it serves.
As a former dancer myself, I wholeheartedly identify with many of the values, feelings, and beliefs represented within this documentary. Everyone who watches this project should walk away with a life lesson that will hopefully encourage you never to give up. Your dreams may not turn out how you expected, but there is something beautiful waiting around the bend if you allow yourself to keep learning and growing.
Debbie Allen is a priceless jewel beyond measure and a much-needed force essential to the entertainment and Arts industry. The Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is a film for the young, old, and people from all backgrounds will appreciate this heart-to-heart encounter.
View more photos from the documentary below and read to learn how this fantastic Debbie Allen production thrives in the community and beyond. Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is available on Netflix.
SYNOPSIS
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.
Directed by Oliver Bokelberg, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is a celebration of the impact the arts can have on young lives and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, and Jordy Wynn.
ABOUT THE HOT CHOCOLATE NUTCRACKER
2019 marked the 10th anniversary of Debbie Allen’s ‘The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker’, a modern retelling of the 1892 ballet, ‘The Nutcracker’, and performed largely by the students at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. It’s Christmas Eve and the Johnsons are having a grand party. The Christmas gifts are shared and young Kara receives a Nutcracker filled with hot chocolate – her favorite. She falls asleep and the journey begins when the Nutcracker comes alive! Three wise cracking mice: Harvey, Schmink and Buckey take over the story. They are the three stooges incarnate from N.Y.C. who call themselves “The Real Rat Pack”. They go to many new lands of wonder: Candy Cane Land, Egypt, the Indian Rainforest/Bollywood, Jazzland, Russia, and the Land of the Kimono Dolls. With dazzling choreography – showcasing jazz, modern, hip hop and ballet – in addition to incredible music and costumes, ‘The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker’ has become a beloved holiday theater classic for all ages. ‘The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker’ is written, directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen with an original score by Mariah Carey, Arturo Sandoval, Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen, James Ingram, Shiamak Davar, Tena Clark and Thump.
ABOUT DEBBIE ALLEN
In a career that spans five decades, the name Debbie Allen is synonymous with dynamic energy, creative talent and innovation.
The ultimate hyphenate, Ms Allen is an actor-singer-songwriter-dancer-choreographer-director-producer. She choreographed the Academy Awards ceremony a record 10 times. She produced the ground-breaking feature film Amistad with Steven Spielberg. On TV, she was the first black woman nominated for Best Actress in a TV Drama and the first Black woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV musical or comedy.
She was one of the very first women of color to creatively oversee a tv show – both Fame and A Different World were produced by Debbie Allen. On Fame, she produced, choreographed, directed and starred in the series. On Broadway, in addition to originating several acting and dancing roles, Ms Allen also directed an acclaimed all-black revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She has been artist in residence at the Kennedy Center for over 15 years, creating original works with the legendary Arturo Sandoval and James Ingram, such as: Pepito’s Story, Brothers of the Knight, Dreams, Alex in Wonderland, Soul Possessed, Pearl, Dancing in the Wings and Oman O Man. Debbie Allen is also an author – her book Dancing In the Wings is an award winning children’s book. To add to this already extensive career, Debbie Allen’s long list of TV directing and producing credits include more than 50 shows including FAME, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Insecure, Jane the Virgin, Empire, A Different World, Everybody Hates Chris, Stompin’ At The Savoy, Polly, That’s So Raven, Quantum Leap, The Fantasia Barrino Story.
She is currently an Executive Producer as well as a director and actress on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. For her vast body of work, Ms. Allen has earned three Emmy Awards (choreography), a Golden Globe (acting), ten NAACP Image Awards (acting, directing, choreography and producing), two Tony nominations (acting), a Drama Desk Award (acting), an Astaire Award (Best Dancer), and the Olivier Award. She holds four honorary Doctorate degrees from several institutions including her alma mater Howard University. She was appointed by President George W. Bush to represent the United States as a Cultural Ambassador of Dance. Debbie Allen received her star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. Ms. Allen is the founder and Creative Director of the non-profit Debbie Allen Dance Academy which trains artists aged 3 to 103.
