In an exciting bonus episode of Why Dance Matters, we meet the choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips as she receives a special honour at the Olivier Awards, marking a career packed with achievement. A dance legend, Arlene made her name with her racy dance troupe Hot Gossip in the 1970s, before becoming a major player in musical theatre, starting with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express. As she approaches her 80th birthday she’s working with undimmed energy, most recently on a rapturously received immersive production of Guys and Dolls. She’s clearly not stopping for anyone.

Dame Arlene Phillips is a show business legend, honoured with a Special Award at the Olivier Awards ceremony in April. Arlene is known for shows including Starlight Express, Grease and Saturday Night Fever, and currently Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre. She has also choreographed high profile music videos for Whitney Houston, Elton John and Queen and films including Annie, Ridley Scott’s Legend and Monty Python, and was an expert judge on TV shows Strictly Come Dancing and So You Think You Can Dance.

Learn more about Dame Arlene Phillips on her website.

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