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=== Departure from ''Strictly Come Dancing'' ===
=== Departure from ''Strictly Come Dancing'' ===
After the close of the 2008 series of ''Strictly Come Dancing'', the BBC annouced that numerous changes would be made to refresh the show in 2009. This led to a great deal of speculation in the media that Phillips might be dropped from the judging panel, however the BBC refused to respond to reports. They finally confirmed the news at the launch of their autumn schedule on 9th July 2009.<ref>http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6675424.ece</ref> She is to be replaced by former Strictly winner [[Alesha Dixon]]. The news has led to much criticism being directed towards the BBC for its apparent discrimination against older women on television, however during the announcement, the BBC were strong to deny this. Other examples of purported ageism in the BBC include the release of newsreader [[Moira Stewart]] in 2007 and the retirement of [[Anna Ford]] in 2006. Other high profile BBC personalities such as [[Selina Scott]] and [[Kate Adie]] have also accused the BBC of ageism towards women.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1194301/Platells-People-Little-Miss-Cleavage-Beebs-bias.html ''Daily Mail'' article about potential replacement of Phillips and accusations of ageism by the BBC</ref>
After the close of the 2008 series of ''Strictly Come Dancing'', the BBC annouced that numerous changes would be made to refresh the show in 2009. This led to a great deal of speculation in the media that Phillips might be dropped from the judging panel, however the BBC refused to respond to reports. They finally confirmed the news at the launch of their autumn schedule on 9th July 2009.<ref>http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6675424.ece</ref> She is to be replaced by former Strictly winner [[Alesha Dixon]]. The news has led to much criticism being directed towards the BBC for its apparent discrimination against older women on television, however during the announcement, the BBC were strong to deny this. Other examples of purported ageism in the BBC include the release of newsreader [[Moira Stuart]] in 2007 and the retirement of [[Anna Ford]] in 2006. Other high profile BBC personalities such as [[Selina Scott]] and [[Kate Adie]] have also accused the BBC of ageism towards women.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1194301/Platells-People-Little-Miss-Cleavage-Beebs-bias.html ''Daily Mail'' article about potential replacement of Phillips and accusations of ageism by the BBC</ref>


The axing of Arlene Phillips has led to an unprecedented intervention from the government's [[Minister for Women and Equality]], [[Harriet Harman]]. During a session in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], Harman responded to questions stating that she believed the decision to drop Arlene Phillips was motivated by age discrimination and called on the BBC to ensure that she would be taking part in the new series. The BBC has not formally responded to this request, but has repeated its comments that the decision was not due to age.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5844671/Strictly-Come-Dancings-Arlene-Phillips-is-a-victim-of-ageism-says-Harriet-Harman.html</ref>
The axing of Arlene Phillips has led to an unprecedented intervention from the government's [[Minister for Women and Equality]], [[Harriet Harman]]. During a session in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], Harman responded to questions stating that she believed the decision to drop Arlene Phillips was motivated by age discrimination and called on the BBC to ensure that she would be taking part in the new series. The BBC has not formally responded to this request, but has repeated its comments that the decision was not due to age.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5844671/Strictly-Come-Dancings-Arlene-Phillips-is-a-victim-of-ageism-says-Harriet-Harman.html</ref>

Revision as of 19:18, 25 August 2009

Arlene Phillips
Occupation(s)Television personality, choreographer, dancer

Arlene Phillips OBE (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, talent scout and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment. She is most notable for being the choreographer of numerous West End and Broadway musicals, films and television shows, but is perhaps most famous for being a judge on the popular BBC1 television series Strictly Come Dancing from the show's inception in 2004 until 2008.

Early life

Phillips was born in 1943 and grew up in the city of Manchester, England. She is Jewish and has a brother called Ian and a sister called Karen. Phillips lost her mother at the age of 15. She had been suffering from Leukaemia and died aged 43. Her father died a few years later suffering from Alzheimer's.

Phillips originally wanted to be a ballet dancer and began dance classes at the age of three, studying ballet and tap dance at the Muriel Tweedy School in Manchester. Her mother had always expressed a desire to dance, which led Phillips into pursuing dance professionally.

Professional career

Phillips is internationally renowned as a choreographer and director of West End and Broadway musicals, but has many other professional credits.

In her mid-teens, Phillips moved to London where she has lived ever since. Strongly influenced by American Modern Jazz dance which was just becoming popular in London at that time, she began developing her own style of Jazz dance and began teaching her style of dance extensively in a number of prominent London dance studios, including Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden. She quickly established herself as a successful teacher and choreographer.

Internationally, Phillips is most noted as a jazz and musical theatre choreographer, having worked on some of the biggest selling musicals in West End and Broadway theatre and a number of successful films. Most notably, Phillips is a multiple Olivier Award winner and Tony Award award nominee.

For the past five years, she has been a judge on the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing and is commenting on the acts in Eurovision: Your Country Needs You for the BBC in 2009. In 2008, she created, produced and choreographed a new British television serial Britannia High.

Following Phillips appearance on Your Country Needs You, she choreographed the performance of the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.[1]

Hot Gossip

In Britain, Phillips first became a household name as the director and choreographer of Hot Gossip, a British dance troup which she formed in 1974 using students she was teaching at the time. Hot Gossip spent two years performing in a London night club where Phillips and her manager developed the group's dance act.

The troupe were eventually spotted by the British television director, David Mallet who invited Phillips to make Hot Gossip a regular feature of The Kenny Everett Show, which he directed for Thames Television on ITV, first being aired in 1978. It was during this time that Hot Gossip made their only hit record "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper", a disco song which reached number 6 in the British music chart. Sung by Hot Gossip dancer Sarah Brightman, who went on to achieve international fame as a Soprano vocalist, also performing a number of acclaimed roles in musicals by the renowned writer and Producer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Brightman's first meeting with Webber was orchestrated by Phillips who was working with him at the time. Brightman later married Webber in 1984.

Hot Gossip were particularly noted for the sexual and risque nature of their costumes and the dance routines, all designed and choreographed by Phillips, and they and are often credited as the UK's first commercial dance troupe, continuing a trend which started with the Go-Jo's and Pan's People on Top of the Pops. Hot Gossip continued to be successful into the early 1980s with their own television show on the newly formed public service broadcaster, Channel 4, The Very Hot Gossip Show; the show was scrapped after the first season due to a strong decline in viewing figures.

Strictly Come Dancing

Phillips is a member of the judging panel for the successful BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing, an original entertainment programme which has been running in the UK since 2004 whose format has subsequently been licensed to broadcasters oversaes.

In the show, celebrities are given intensive training in ballroom and latin dance routines, being partnered by an experienced professional dancer. They perform new routines each week for a live television audience and each week a celebrity is eliminated until the series winner is decided. The panel of judges (Phillips, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli) score the dance performances and their scores are then combined with the results of a public televote to decide which two couples gave the weakest performance each week. These two couples then dance again before the judges decide who should leave the competition.

Phillips was asked to be a judge for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) version of the show Dancing With The Stars but decided that travelling between London and Los Angeles each week would be too tiring and that her loyalties lay with the British version of the show.

In 2005 and 2006, Phillips was a judge for the Strictly Come Dancing spin off series Strictly Dance Fever, which was also created by the BBC. The show searched for dancers to join the chorus of a West End musical. Later in 2007, she judged another BBC dance series, DanceX, a show created to find a new commercial dance act. After the initial audition process, the competitors were split into two troupes of dancers, with Phillips creating choreography for one troupe and the other being choreographed by her fellow Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli. The two troupes competed live on television each week, with Tonioli's troupe being the eventual winners. There have been no indications that the BBC are planning to televise any further series of these other programmes at this point in time.

On Strictly Come Dancing, Phillips has given the top score of 10 to:

Departure from Strictly Come Dancing

After the close of the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC annouced that numerous changes would be made to refresh the show in 2009. This led to a great deal of speculation in the media that Phillips might be dropped from the judging panel, however the BBC refused to respond to reports. They finally confirmed the news at the launch of their autumn schedule on 9th July 2009.[2] She is to be replaced by former Strictly winner Alesha Dixon. The news has led to much criticism being directed towards the BBC for its apparent discrimination against older women on television, however during the announcement, the BBC were strong to deny this. Other examples of purported ageism in the BBC include the release of newsreader Moira Stuart in 2007 and the retirement of Anna Ford in 2006. Other high profile BBC personalities such as Selina Scott and Kate Adie have also accused the BBC of ageism towards women.[3]

The axing of Arlene Phillips has led to an unprecedented intervention from the government's Minister for Women and Equality, Harriet Harman. During a session in the House of Commons, Harman responded to questions stating that she believed the decision to drop Arlene Phillips was motivated by age discrimination and called on the BBC to ensure that she would be taking part in the new series. The BBC has not formally responded to this request, but has repeated its comments that the decision was not due to age.[4]

Britannia High

In 2007, Phillips became the Executive Producer and Creative Director for the ITV1 television series Britannia High. The show was a fictional drama about the lives of six students at a London performing arts school. Based on an idea by Phillips and West End producer David Ian, the series was marketed as the UK's answer to Disney's High School Musical, with extensive franchises planned, including live tours, albums and merchandise. Unfortunately the show was not a success and was scrapped after the first series.

Personal life

She is married to her long term partner, Angus Ion. She has two daughters: Alana, the eldest, is from an earlier relationship and her younger daughter, Abi, is from her current marriage.

Other

Musical credits

Film credits

References

  1. ^ "Eurovision Day 7: Russia, Germany, UK, Spain". Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  2. ^ http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6675424.ece
  3. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1194301/Platells-People-Little-Miss-Cleavage-Beebs-bias.html Daily Mail article about potential replacement of Phillips and accusations of ageism by the BBC
  4. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5844671/Strictly-Come-Dancings-Arlene-Phillips-is-a-victim-of-ageism-says-Harriet-Harman.html
  5. ^ "Flashdance", Playbill

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