GREASE The Musical Creative Team Arlene Phillips

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Music Staging & Choreographer

Theatre: Flashdance, Grease, The Sound of Music, We Will Rock You, the US touring productions of Joseph and Jesus Christ Superstar, Matador, Time (starring Cliff Richard) and the RSC production of A Clockwork Orange (music by U2). Direction and choreography: Starlight Express and Saturday Night Fever.

Arena: the hugely successful Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour 2008 and 2009, The Bratz Live Tour, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Black Goes With Everything, EFX at the MGM Grand, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and Donna Summer at the Universal Amphitheatre. Director of Choreography for the Manchester XVII Commonwealth Games ceremonies and Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Film: Arlene has worked with many notable directors such as John Huston’s Annie, Ridley Scott’s Legend starring Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood’s White Hunter, Black Heart, Ken Russell’s Salome’s Last Dance and Terry Jones’ Monty Python’s Meaning of Life.  On other films she has worked with The Village People on Can’t Stop The Music and The Pet Shop Boys It Couldn’t Happen Here.

Television: Ken Russell’s The ABC of Music, The Benny Hill Show, the US syndicated Dancin’ To The Hits, The Kenny Everett Video Show featuring dance group Hot Gossip with Sarah Brightman, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa & Friends. The Brit Awards, The Royal Variety Show, The Prince’s Trust, Children in Need, Party in the Park and the legendary Party at the Palace.  In 2006 Arlene was commissioned by Mattel to create a Barbie dance DVD.

Music videos: Duran Duran, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Queen, Cliff Richard, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Robbie Williams to name but a few and has choreographed over one hundred TV commercials in England and the USA.

Arlene has worked with numerous stars and has received theatre award nominations including a Tony, two Oliviers, a National Broadway and a FaNY.  Awards include an MTV, a Drama Desk, a Bafta, and an Emmy for best choreography.  In the 2002 New Years Honours List Arlene was awarded an OBE for Services to Dance and in 2004 a Companionship Award from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, for her contribution to dance, presented by Sir Paul McCartney.

Arlene appears as a judge on BBC1’s hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing and she judged the follow-up series Strictly Dance Fever.  In 2007, together with Bruno Tonioli from Strictly Come Dancing, they created a new BBC1 show DanceX that was aired on ABC as Dance Wars.  Arlene recently created a new musical drama for ITV Britannia High.