Debbie Allen and Savion Glover Among 2026 Dance Hall of Fame Inductees

Following a star-studded inaugural celebration in 2025, the Dance Hall of Fame is set to welcome its next distinguished class of honorees, celebrating trailblazers whose work has left a lasting impact on the art of dance. The induction ceremony will take place at The Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Tickets are available for purchase on the Dance Hall of Fame website.

This year’s class of inductees honors ten luminaries whose contributions have shaped dance across generations and genres. They include Debbie Allen, George Balanchine, Toni Basil, Katherine Dunham, Savion Glover, Mandy Moore and the Nicholas Brothers, as well as three legends from the iconic film “West Side Story”: George Chakiris, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn.

Each inductee represents a defining era and influence in dance:

• Debbie Allen: Debbie Allen, a BFA graduate of Howard University in Theater and Classical Greek Studies, holds five honorary Doctorate degrees, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was named a Kennedy Center honoree and is an award-winning director/choreographer who has choreographed the Academy Awards a record 10 times. She has directed and choreographed for legendary artists such as Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Gwen Verdon, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dolly Parton, Savion Glover and most recently Tyler Perry’s “A Jazzman’s Blues.” Ms. Allen received the Golden Globe for her role as Lydia Grant in the 1980s hit series “Fame,” the Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Anita in “West Side Story,” and is a four-time Emmy Award winner in Choreography for “Fame” (twice), “The Motown 25th” and “Christmas on the Square.” She has also received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Movie Made for Television as Executive Producer of “Christmas on the Square,” and the Governor’s Award at the 73rd Emmys. Awarded 10 Image Awards as director, actress, choreographer and producer for “Fame,” “A Different World,” “Motown 25th,” The Academy Awards, “The Debbie Allen Special” and “Amistad,” she has also directed the best that TV offers, including “Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder,” “Jane The Virgin,” “Empire,” “Insecure,” “Ms. Pat” and Sam Jackson’s “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.” She currently serves as Executive Producing Director of “Grey’s Anatomy,” where she recurs as Dr. Catherine Fox. Ms. Allen’s most recent accomplishment is receiving the 2025 Governor’s Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. She is the daughter of poet Vivian Ayers and Dr. Andrew Allen, wife to NBA All-Star Norman Nixon, sister to Phylicia Rashad, Tex Allen and Hugh Allen, mother of Vivian and Thump, and grandmother of four.

• George Balanchine: Widely regarded as the most influential choreographer of the 20th century, George Balanchine transformed classical ballet through his groundbreaking vision and helped establish the United States as a global center for dance. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, he entered the Imperial Ballet School at age nine and choreographed his first work at 16. After joining the legendary Ballets Russes in 1924, he became the company’s principal choreographer, creating landmark ballets including “Apollo” and “Prodigal Son.” Following a move to the United States in 1933, Balanchine co-founded the School of American Ballet and Ballet Society, which later became the New York City Ballet, where he served as ballet master for more than three decades. He created 425 ballets, including “Serenade,” “Jewels,” “Agon” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His collaborations with Igor Stravinsky redefined the relationship between music and movement, while his choreography continues to influence ballet worldwide. His honors include the inaugural Kennedy Center Honors, Presidential Medal of Freedom, France’s Légion d’Honneur and recognition as the first choreographer inducted into the Entertainment Hall of Fame.

• Toni Basil: Toni Basil has redefined dance, music, television, film, video and the concert stage for more than six decades. Born into a vaudevillian family, she watched more than 1,000 stage shows from the wings of the Chicago Theater, laying the foundation for her career. She has choreographed 27 movies and collaborated on pop concerts and videos with Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Mick Jagger and David Byrne, among other legendary artists. In 1974, Basil and David Bowie made history creating “Rock Theater” for his iconic “Diamond Dogs” tour. A genre-bending visionary, she earned an Emmy nomination for fusing classical ballet and street dance. She created the group The Lockers, and with Don Campbell’s dance, they established street dance as an American art form. Quentin Tarantino crowned her the “Goddess of Go-Go.” Her honors include an Emmy, two Bob Fosse Awards, multiple video awards and Hip Hop International’s “Living Legend of Hip Hop” award. Her gold and double platinum single “Hey Mickey” and Grammy-nominated videos are held in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and MoMA’s dance calendar, and has been a top category on “Jeopardy!” A dance historian, Basil continues to perform and go viral into her ’80s, proving that groundbreaking artistry has no expiration date.

• Katherine Dunham: Katherine Dunham was an internationally renowned anthropologist, dancer, choreographer and humanitarian whose groundbreaking work transformed American concert dance and established a new movement language rooted in African and diasporic traditions. Drawing on anthropological research throughout the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America, Dunham developed the polyrhythmic vocabulary known as the Dunham Technique. In 1931, she founded Ballet Negre, which later became the Katherine Dunham Company, which toured at least 57 countries during segregation. Company members including Talley Beatty, Jean Leon Destine, Walter Nicks and Syvilla Fort went on to establish dance companies, while Eartha Kitt became an acclaimed singer. Dunham also founded The Katherine Dunham School in New York City, influencing Alvin Ailey, Geoffrey Holder, Arthur Mitchell and Louis Johnson. She later created the Katherine Dunham Seminar in East St. Louis, Illinois. Dunham choreographed more than 150 ballets, films, operas and Broadway productions. She also collaborated with George Balanchine to choreograph “Aida” for the Metropolitan Opera. Her honors included the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the French Legion of Honor. The Library of Congress credits Dunham with creating “the first African American Concert Dance Technique.”

• Savion Glover: Savion Glover is a Tony Award-winning choreographer, performer and one of the most influential tap dancers of his generation, whose artistry has transformed American dance for more than four decades. After making his Broadway debut at age 10 in “The Tap Dance Kid,” Glover went on to perform in “Black and Blue” and “Jelly’s Last Jam,” earning Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations. His credits include starring in and choreographing the groundbreaking Broadway musical “Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk,” earning the 1996 Tony Award for “Best Choreography” and helping redefine tap as a vehicle for storytelling and cultural expression. He has also choreographed Broadway’s “Shuffle Along,” films including “Happy Feet” and “Happy Feet 2,” and numerous television and live productions. Influenced by legendary tap artists including Gregory Hines, Jimmy Slyde and Charles “Honi” Coles, Glover developed his signature “free style hard core” style and continues their legacy through performance, choreography, education and mentorship. His contributions to dance have earned him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Montclair State University.

• Mandy Moore: Mandy Moore is a multi-Emmy Award-winning choreographer, director and producer whose visionary work has redefined dance across film, television, live entertainment and the concert stage. A three-time Emmy winner with 15 nominations, Moore is best known for her groundbreaking choreography and producing on “So You Think You Can Dance,” her Emmy Award-winning work on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” and as producer and choreographer of Taylor Swift’s record-shattering “The Eras Tour.” Her acclaimed film choreography includes the Academy Award-winning “La La Land,” as well as “American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Babylon,” “Snow White” and “The Life of Chuck.” Moore has also choreographed for “Dancing with the Stars,” “Glee,” “American Idol,” “Modern Family” and “Kidding,” while creating live productions for Céline Dion, Shania Twain, “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Cirque du Soleil.” Most recently, she directed and choreographed the 2026 “Dancing with the Stars Tour,” and is set to choreograph the Broadway premiere of Dolly Parton’s new musical in 2027. Moore is a proud member of the Television Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

• Nicholas Brothers: The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold, were self-taught entertainers who emerged from the Harlem Renaissance to build one of the most extraordinary careers in entertainment history. Together they forged a gravity-defying tap technique, fusing ballet, jazz and breathtaking athleticism into a style entirely their own. Over the course of their careers, the brothers moved effortlessly across mediums and continents, starring in dozens of Hollywood films, headlining on Broadway and television, recording singing albums in multiple languages and captivating audiences on stages across the globe. Their legendary performance in the film “Stormy Weather,” filmed in a single take, remains one of the most celebrated dance sequences ever captured on film. Among their many honors are the Kennedy Center Honors, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a teaching residency at Harvard and Radcliffe and a Tony Award recognizing Fayard’s choreography for “Black and Blue.” Their influence continues to resonate across generations of artists who followed.

Legends from the iconic film “West Side Story”:

• George Chakiris: George Chakiris is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, singer and dancer whose remarkable career has spanned more than five decades across film, television, theater and music. Best known for his iconic portrayal of Bernardo in “West Side Story,” Chakiris brought a smoldering sensuality and silken, catlike movement to the role, forging a new archetype of the dancing antihero and earning both an Academy and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1962. Unknown as a key protégé of Jerome Robbins, he became one of the leading male dancers of his generation and an inspiration to many future male dancers. His film career includes “White Christmas,” “Brigadoon,” “The Young Girls of Rochefort” and “Diamond Head,” with co-stars including Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Catherine Deneuve, Yul Brynner, Lana Turner, Claudia Cardinale and Marina Vlady. On stage, he starred in “Company” and “The Passion of Dracula,” working with choreographers including Robbins, Claude Thompson, Norman Main and Michael Bennett. Chakiris has been honored twice by France’s Ministry of Culture with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

• Rita Moreno: Rita Moreno is a legendary performer whose groundbreaking career has spanned more than eight decades across Broadway, film, television and music. One of the most celebrated entertainers of her generation, Moreno is one of only a select group of artists to have earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. She made her Broadway debut at age 13 before rising to international acclaim for her iconic performance as Anita in “West Side Story,” becoming the first Latina to earn an Academy Award. 60 years later, she co-starred and served as an Executive Producer of Steven Spielberg’s remake of the film. Her career encompasses more than 70 feature films, including the Fast & Furious franchise, as well as numerous television productions, such as Norman Lear’s remake of “One Day at a Time,” and several acclaimed stage performances. Moreno is a recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honor, SAG Life Achievement Award, National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to name a few. She continues to perform, speak and inspire audiences across generations.

• Russ Tamblyn: Russ Tamblyn is an acclaimed actor, dancer, choreographer, director and artist whose career has spanned more than six decades. A Hollywood performer from childhood, Tamblyn became a worldwide sensation for his dancing and acting in MGM’s “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” where his musicality, championship tumbling and agility established him as one of Hollywood’s most distinctive young performers. His renowned acrobatic style shines in his unforgettable shovel dance in “The Fastest Gun Alive” and the title role in “tom thumb,” while his dramatic talents earned him an Academy Award nomination for “Peyton Place” and led to his iconic portrayal of Riff, leader of the Jets, in “West Side Story.” On stage, he performed opposite Chita Rivera in “Bye Bye Birdie” and appeared in “Cabaret,” “Follies” and “The Music Man.” Tamblyn later expanded his artistry into the fine arts, co-writing, choreographing and acting in Neil Young’s “Human Highway” and directing and choreographing Young’s “Greendale” tour. His remarkable career and creative journey are chronicled in his 2024 memoir, “Dancing on the Edge: A Journey of Living, Loving, and Tumbling Through Hollywood.”

The Dance Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, now named the “Dance Hall of Fame Shirley MacLaine Lifetime Achievement Award,” will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the inaugural Dance Educator Award recipient.

Honorees will be presented with awards generously donated to the Dance Hall of Fame Foundation by Lalique, a proud sponsor of the event. Created and designed in 1926 by Suzanne Lalique, daughter of the legendary René Lalique, the Tourbillons vase is handcrafted at the Lalique factory in Alsace, France, by passionate and skilled artisans. Reflecting the Lalique family’s extraordinary artistic legacy, its name, French for “whirlwind,” evokes the graceful movement and swirling forms that give the piece its distinctive energy and fluidity. In honor of the design’s centenary, Lalique will present the Tourbillons vase as the official Dance Hall of Fame award to each of this year’s inductees as a uniquely meaningful tribute to the artists whose creativity, artistry and cultural contributions have left an enduring legacy and continue to shape the future of dance.

“For the second consecutive year, Lalique is honored to sponsor the award presentation, recognizing and celebrating the exceptional accomplishments of the 2026 Dance Hall of Fame honorees,” said Lalique.

Dance Hall of Fame’s inaugural event marked a defining moment in the history of dance. Conceived by Emmy Award-winning choreographer and producer Anita Mann, seven-time Emmy-winning director and producer Louis J. Horvitz, alongside dance documentarians Melinda and Kurt Soderling, the Dance Hall of Fame is the first institution ever created to recognize the cultural impact of dance and its greatest contributors. Mann and Horvitz continue to guide the organization’s mission alongside a distinguished board of 13 leaders in dance and entertainment, bringing this long-overdue vision to life: a global celebration of movement, creativity and legacy.

“The worlds of music and film have long had institutions honoring their greatest talents. Now, dance finally has its own Hall of Fame; a place to recognize the creativity, courage and brilliance that define this art form. It’s a privilege to honor these legends who have moved us all, both literally and emotionally,” said Mann. “Establishing this institution was long overdue, and this cements Dance Hall of Fame as the permanent home dance has always deserved. We look forward to new inductees each year and sharing their legacies to educate and inspire the generations of dancers, choreographers and creators who will follow in their footsteps.”

Mann and Horvitz are serving as executive producers of the ceremony alongside Jeff Thacker, a multi-award-winning television producer and five-time Emmy Award nominee as Executive Producer of “So You Think You Can Dance,” with Melinda and Kurt Soderling serving as producers. A five-time Emmy nominee, Mann has choreographed for icons including Elvis Presley, Cher, Michael Jackson and The Muppets, with her choreography appearing on The Academy Awards, “Solid Gold” and The Miss America Pageant. She is the longtime producer of one of Las Vegas’ most enduring shows, “Fantasy.” Horvitz, a master of live television direction, has helmed the Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Kennedy Center Honors, earning acclaim for shaping many of entertainment’s most memorable televised moments.

Photo Credit: Lalique