Debbie Allen of 'Grey's Anatomy' Honors 'Dance to the Music' with a Throwback Photo

Debbie Allen promoted her upcoming digital dance-a-thon, 'Dance to the Music,' and recreated a photo of herself from the 1980s wearing a black top hat.

Debbie Allen has teamed up with celebrity choreographer, Jaquel Knight, for a 12-hour digital dance-a-thon on June 13, 2020. Celebrity guests include Ellen Pompeo, Dolly Parton, Chaka Khan, and Shonda Rhimes.

The event will be live-streamed. It is aimed at helping to raise money for people in the dance community who have been affected by the restrictions on businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

As she prepared for the upcoming event, Allen shared a throwback photo of herself from 1986 for the musical "Sweet Charity," in which she posed in a black top hat.

In the second photo, the "Grey's Anatomy" star shared a modern recreation of the look. One fan recalled watching the show and praised her character over the many encounters they had experienced with the actress.

In 1986, Allen landed the leading role as Charity in the musical directed by Bob Fosse. One fan gushed over her years of experience in the film industry and

, "we're talking the greatest of all time."

As she posed in an all-black ensemble to match her top hat, her makeup looked gorgeous. She had on a smokey eye, light blush, and red lip. One commenter added, "stunning then, stunning now."

Allen has many talents as an actress, director, dancer, and choreographer. She made her big break in the 1980s when she starred as a dance teacher named Lydia Grant in "Fame."

Her passion for dance turned in the "Debbie Allen Dance Academy." It is a non-profit organization, which is located in Los Angeles, California.

Amid the global quarantine, Allen came up with the idea for free virtual classes to help keep people active and positive during while quarantined in their homes, she explained:

"A lot of people needed it, and it was a healing experience and a releasing experience and a motivational experience."

Allen's live dance classes have drawn in tens of thousands of viewers each week. The sessions accommodate people of all dance calibers.

In her goal for the "Dance to the Music," digital dance-a-thon, she intends to not only raise money but also to provide exposure to other dancers in the community.