“Grey’s Anatomy actor and director Debbie Allen has inspired millions of people in her 50-plus-year career, from playing no-nonsense teacher Lydia Grant on Fame to directing the landmark show A Different World to enchanting audiences through her Shondaland-produced holiday show Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. But Allen’s influence isn’t limited to the screen. Through her eponymous Debbie Allen Dance Academy, now housed in the Rhimes Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, as well as countless workshops and courses over the years, Allen has directly impacted scores of people — among them the choreographer and director Camille A. Brown, whom Allen met when Brown took part in an audition in 1991 when Brown was just 11 years old.”
