Award Shows November 17, 2025
Tom Cruise Dances the Night Away with Debbie Allen
Dana Pleasant/The Academy
On Saturday, superstar Tom Cruise hit the dance floor with famed choreographer Debbie Allen!
The two icons, both of whom just received honorary Oscars, were seen showing off their moves to Cameo “Candy” and "Before I Let Go” by Frankie Beverly and Maze at an event hosted by the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.
The evening’s emcee, DJ D-Nice, shared video of Tom and Debbie, writing on Instagram, “Last night was a vibe! I kept the vibes flowing as we celebrated @therealdebbieallen in a major way. @tomcruise is invited to the barbecue! 🪩”
The event honored Debbie, who received her honorary Oscar on Sunday along with Tom and production designer Wynn Thomas. Dolly Parton was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
The Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s Instagram shared a video, writing, “What an honor it was to celebrate @therealdebbieallen last night. As she prepares to receive her Honorary Oscar from the Academy, recognizing her extraordinary legacy in film, we gathered to reflect on the brilliance, courage and passion she continues to pour into the world."
In his 12-minute acceptance speech, Tom told the crowd, “The cinema — it takes me around the world. It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me also our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways. And no matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, and that is the power of this art form. And that is why it matters. That is why it matters to me. So, making films is not what I do, it is who I am.”
Tom, Debbie and Wynn were selected to receive honorary Oscars “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”
Parton’s humanitarian award is “given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities."
Parton was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict.
