Arlene Phillips facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arlene Phillips
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Phillips in 2009
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| Born | 22 May 1943 Prestwich, Lancashire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Choreographer |
| Years active | 1976–present |
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Notable work
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Annie Starlight Express Saturday Night Fever Hot Gossip Loose Women Strictly Come Dancing So You Think You Can Dance We Will Rock You |
| Partner(s) | Angus Ion (1985–present) |
| Awards | Laurence Olivier Award Carl Alan Award |
Dame Arlene Phillips is a famous English choreographer, director, and television personality. She was born on May 22, 1943. She has worked in many areas of entertainment, from musicals to TV shows.
Arlene is well-known for creating dances for many famous shows in London's West End and on Broadway. Later, she became even more famous as a judge on popular TV dance shows. These include Strictly Come Dancing and So You Think You Can Dance.
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Early Life and Dance Dreams
Arlene Phillips was born in Prestwich, Lancashire, England. She has a brother named Ian and a sister named Karen. From a young age, Arlene loved to dance. She started ballet and tap dance classes when she was just three years old.
Her mother had always wanted to dance, which inspired Arlene to follow her passion. When Arlene was 15, her mother sadly passed away. Despite this, Arlene continued to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Arlene Phillips's Amazing Career
Arlene Phillips is known around the world for her dance work. She choreographs and directs musicals in London's West End and on Broadway.
Becoming a Dance Teacher and Choreographer
When she was a teenager, Arlene moved to London. There, she developed her own unique style of jazz dance. It was inspired by the popular American Modern Jazz dance at the time. She began teaching her dance style at The Dance Centre, which is now known as Pineapple Dance Studios. She also taught at the Italia Conti Stage School. This helped her become a successful teacher and choreographer.
Choreography for Films and Shows
Arlene was an assistant choreographer for the 1982 film Annie. She also choreographed the music video for the Duran Duran song The Wild Boys. This video won an award in 1985.
In 1996, she was the stage director for the first performances of Michael Flatley's Irish dance show, Lord of the Dance. Arlene also helped choreograph the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
TV Judge and Producer
From 2004 to 2008, Arlene was a judge on the BBC One show Strictly Come Dancing. She also commented on performances for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You in 2009. In 2008, she created, produced, and choreographed the ITV show Britannia High.
She also choreographed the performances for the UK's entries in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and 2012. In 2013, she was a dance judge on Let's Dance For Comic Relief.
Hot Gossip Dance Group
Arlene Phillips first became a household name in Britain because of a dance group called Hot Gossip. She formed this group in 1974 with her dance students. Hot Gossip performed in a London nightclub for two years. During this time, Arlene and her manager helped the group create their unique dance act.
Strictly Come Dancing Journey
Arlene Phillips was one of the first judges on the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing. She was on the judging panel from 2004 to 2008. Her fellow judges included Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli.
She also judged spin-off shows like Strictly Dance Fever (2005-2006) and DanceX (2007). DanceX was a show that aimed to find a new commercial dance act. Arlene mentored one of the dance troupes on the show.
Leaving Strictly Come Dancing
After the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC decided to make some changes to the show. Arlene Phillips was replaced by former Strictly winner Alesha Dixon. This news led to a lot of discussion in the media.
Later TV Appearances
In October 2009, Arlene appeared on the show Have I Got News for You. She also made several guest appearances on the ITV show Loose Women in 2010.
So You Think You Can Dance?
Arlene Phillips also became a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance?. She joined the show's creator Nigel Lythgoe, pop singer Louise Redknapp, and choreographer Sisco Gomez on the judging panel. The first episode aired in January 2010.
Gala for Grenfell
In July 2017, Arlene announced a special dance gala. It was organized to raise money for those affected by the terrible Grenfell Tower fire. The "Gala for Grenfell" took place on July 30, 2017, in London. Many famous dancers and stars from Strictly Come Dancing performed. Arlene said the dancers were performing "for the love" and giving a gift to help others. All the money raised went to the Grenfell Tower Fund.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
In November 2021, Arlene Phillips became the oldest contestant ever to appear on ITV's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was 78 years old when she took part in the show.
Dancing on Ice
On February 20, 2022, Arlene Phillips joined ITV's Dancing on Ice as a guest judge for a special Musicals week.
Awards and Honours
Arlene Phillips has received many important awards for her work.
- In 2001, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
- In 2006, she received a Carl Alan Award for her amazing services to dance.
- In 2013, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to dance and charity.
- In 2021, she received an even higher honour, becoming a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
She has been nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer three times. She finally won this prestigious award in 2024. In 2023, she also received a Special Recognition award from the Society of London Theatre. She won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Choreography in 2023 for her work on the musical Grease.
Personal Life
Arlene Phillips has been in a relationship with Angus Ion, who is a set builder, since 1985. They first met while working on the music video for the Freddie Mercury song "I Was Born to Love You".
Alana Dancing Star Books
In 2010, Arlene Phillips wrote a series of children's books called Alana Dancing Star. This series has six books. In each book, the main character, Alana, explores a different type of dance. The series covers dances like ballroom dance, samba, hip-hop, Bollywood, Broadway, and tango. One of her books, Viennese Waltz, was chosen for a special children's reading list in 2011.
Theatre Choreography Highlights
Arlene Phillips has choreographed many famous theatre shows, including:
- The Wizard of Oz (London production)
- Flashdance
- The Sound of Music
- Starlight Express
- Grease
- Saturday Night Fever
- We Will Rock You
- Guys and Dolls
Film Choreography Highlights
Arlene Phillips has also choreographed for several films, such as:
- Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
- Legend
- Annie
- The Wind in the Willows
- The music video for Tina Turner's song Private Dancer
See Also
In Spanish: Arlene Phillips para niños
- List of dancers
