Shonda Rhimes Praises Debbie Allen and Her Dance Academy at Power of Women: ‘If You Are Feeling Broken, Debbie Will Help You Repair’
Shonda Rhimes was honored at Variety’s Power of Women, presented by Lifetime, in New York on Thursday for her work with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, a non-profit dance school that offers classes to disenfranchised communities.
Rhimes was aware of Debbie Allen’s work from a young age, having been a fan of her 1980s TV show “Fame.” Years later, Rhimes’ eldest daughter took classes at the academy, and Rhimes and Allen became fast friends. Allen eventually became an executive producer, director and actor on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and in 2022, Rhimes opened a permanent location for DADA in Mid-City.
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“They call her Ms. Allen. Her students are aged 3 to 93. They are all sizes, all colors, all abilities, all talent levels,” Rhimes said on stage at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.. “Some are kids like mine — overprivileged. But some are not. Some don’t have homes. Some cannot pay for classes. Some cannot even afford dance shoes. Ms. Allen doesn’t care where you come from — DADA simply provides what you need to join in. If you have nothing, she provides everything. If you have everything, you’d better not brag. At DADA every person has value, everyone is treated the same, everyone matters.”
Rhimes also praised DADA for feeding children “a culture of excellence and expectation in themselves.”
“If you feel unseen, Debbie sees you,” Rhimes added. “If you are feeling broken, Debbie will help you repair. If you need a safe place to sleep or to rage or to heal, Debbie provides one. If you are hungry, Debbie feeds you. And then she puts you back in ballet class.”
Her award was presented by Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajara, who has been a close collaborator of her’s since the streamer entered an overall deal with Rhimes’ production company Shondaland in 2017. That deal led to the release of the hit drama series “Brigderton,” which will premiere its third season with Netflix on May 16 and June 13.
Rhimes has fundamentally changed the landscape of television with shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and the Kerry Washington led “Scandal.” In the mid-2010s, Shondaland had three shows airing on ABC on Thursdays.
While talking with Varitey for her Power of Women cover story, Rhimes speculated about the future of television, noting that it seems “very uncertain” as of now.
“[It’s a] completely different landscape. And I feel like when I look forward, I have no idea,” Rhimes said. “It’s very clear to me that my children only want to watch things that are this long because of YouTube or whatever. [She measures an inch with her fingers.] Sitting down and watching a movie is very rare for them. It’s not the same as it was for us. Everything’s changing. I think there will always be storytelling; I just don’t know what form it’s going to take.”
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