Arlene Phillips, 80, is a renowned choreographer and a former Strictly Come Dancing judge. She has two grown-up daughters.
I WAS A ‘HAVE NOT’ BUT IT DIDN’T STOP ME
When I was 15, my mother, Rita, died from leukaemia aged just 43. Everyone assumes that was the spur that gave me my determination to succeed.
But it’s not true. It had already dawned on me that I was a ‘have-not’. I wasn’t born into wealth — far from it. A girl who lived down the road had black patent shoes as well as school ones, but I only had one pair that I wore all the time.
So began my search to find something I could shine at. I found dance, and joy came into my life.
Arlene Phillips , 80, is a renowned choreographer and a former Strictly Come Dancing judge
My parents were keen on dance and ballet music but couldn’t afford to send me to dance classes. Eventually, an uncle paid. I must have been eight — and that was it. Dancing gave me my love, my passion, my drive.
It’s all I wanted to do, although I came to realise I didn’t have the physique to become a ballerina. I was 5ft 3in and quite stocky. But I worked hard. I could jump higher than all the other girls in my class.
Some of my contemporaries auditioned for the Royal Ballet in London, which I knew was out of my reach. So I set my heart on a local dance school that would train me. The problem, again, was money.
I needed a grant. With the help of my Auntie Miriam, I got an appointment at the council to try to persuade them to give me one.
I went on my own, aged 16. I told them my mum had recently died and she’d wanted me to dance. I explained that, for me, this wasn’t a simple ambition: it was a need.
Last year, for her contribution to dance and charity, Arlene was made a Dame of the British Empire
And it did the trick. I was the first girl in Manchester to get a grant to go to a dance school. I’m ever grateful for that, although, with all due modesty, I think I can say I’ve repaid their faith and investment in me.
Last year, for my contribution to dance and charity, I was made a Dame of the British Empire. It was a very proud day which would have thrilled my parents. It also made me realise that, finally, I’d gone from a ‘have-not’ to a ‘have’.
Arlene’s House Of Flamenka is at the Peacock Theatre, London, from October 17-28 (sadlerswells.com).