Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker Documentary Review: A Ballet Doc For the Ages
I love dance documentaries and I was really excited to watch Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker on Netflix when it came out! Definitely doesn’t disappoint! I felt that this documentary is heartwarming, inspiring, and engaging. The show is about Debbie Allen’s studio, Debbie Allen Dance Academy (aka DADA), and the yearly stage production it puts on called Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, which is a re-imagining of the Nutcracker ballet. DADA’s mission is to provide training and nurture young dancers regardless of their background or income, and because of this, it offers many scholarships. I loved watching the behind-the-scenes practice sessions and getting to learn more about the individual dancers through interviews. I definitely walk away from this documentary feeling a sense of pride that such an organization exists, as well as happiness that so many children are thriving and dreaming big because of it.
Usually, I am used to watching and ogling ballet documentaries that showcase traditional companies and styles, but Hot Chocolate Nutcracker has helped open my eyes to how ballet can be so much more than that. I also recognize that I am so used to thinking ballet should look a certain way, and that it’s important to start challenging that ideology. While the Nutcracker is one of the most famous and beloved ballets of all time, this production is much more about showcasing different styles of dance and storytelling. It also gives the opportunity for kids from the age of 4 all the way to high school to share the stage together. It seemed a bit chaotic to me at times to see so many people on the stage and so much going on, but ultimately, the final snippets of the stage production looked really great to me! The documentary is structured so that you see the progression from auditions to rehearsals to the final production. It doesn’t go too deep into the audition or rehearsal process, because a bigger emphasis is put on learning about the stories of some of the chosen dancers and instructors. From what you do see, you can tell that the academy’s mission statement is really outstanding. The high school dancers particularly were really talented and I was really inspired by how the kids work so hard and have big dreams. At the end of dance documentaries there’s always a “where are they now” section, and I was really thrilled to see the different directions their dance careers took.
In conclusion…
I’ve never seen such a diverse and successful studio before that nurtures predominantly black dancers and talent! I hope that more people are able to see such a studio and realize that this can be normal rather than an oddity. It was also a pleasure to get to know some more backstory on Debbie Allen and the other fantastic instructors at the academy. Definitely recommend this if you enjoy watching people dancing and working towards their dreams.