A biography for Arlene Phillipshasn’t been written yet.
“I think when you're doing a musical, you have to be attuned to the director's vision. You're working with a variety of people, singers and dancers, so you have to create movement and dance that is for all abilities. You have to further the story through the dance.”
“In a musical, I believe that choreographers are under a great deal of pressure. There's not always the freedom to do what you want to do, because if it ends up being too long the dance breaks are the first thing that will go, because you can't make the story shorter.”
“In the 1960s everybody knew about Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies. No matter what class people belonged to, they were talking about these two young girls who had become mixed up in the Profumo affair. Extraordinary times.”
“I would never go anywhere without a notebook and pen. I don't even sleep without a notebook and pen by my side.”
“I am always competing with my body. I am always thinking my body is going to do things it won't do.”
“I was definitely a tyrant - ask any dancer I've worked with. They were surprised if I was ever nice to them. I had a terrible temper.”
“I always knew I wanted to dance and when I was eight, I started ballet lessons at a church hall. They all wore pink ballet shoes but I wore green, as they were cheap, and I remember everyone staring at me.”
“The best way of building up a habit for dance is to introduce it early.”
“I haven't let people take me down a negative path, because apart from dance I don't have an addictive personality.”
“I grew up without any money, but the one thing that we did was sit up in the gods to watch the ballet.”
“That's why I love Las Vegas - it is the ultimate place for excitement.”
“If I have a financial problem, it is caution. I like to have money in the bank. I don't like taking chances.”
“I have always seen myself as a choreographer first and foremost.”
“I was passionate about 'Strictly.' I was passionate about it in every way, but the one thing that I always felt I did was give good advice as to how the contestants could improve.”
“I always wanted children, and it was a dream come true when I discovered I was pregnant with Alana when I was 36.”
“I think I'm a bit like Tigger, always bounding around. Where it comes from I don't really know; probably too much espresso.”
“My day job has always been in the theatre.”
“Dancing should be as much a part of our daily routine as brushing our teeth.”
“I do look at both of them and think: 'No matter what I have achieved in my career, my daughters are the best thing I have ever created.' No competition at all, really.”
“The Paddy Stone dancers were all upwards of 5ft 6in and stunningly beautiful. I was stocky, tough-looking and 5ft 3in. So I became determined to create my own troupe.”