The Capsule in Conversation with Arlene Phillips CBE
This week Natalie is joined by legendary choreographer and director Arlene Phillips to talk pushing boundaries, building resilience and battling through adversity. Discussing ageism in the entertainment industry, Arlene reflects on her time as a judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and the disappointment she felt at being replaced whist her male counterparts remained. She notes however the vast improvement of representation of older women on screen in more recent years and how it’s vital we see and hear more women in high ranking positions across all industries. She also talks about the impact of the 1980’s AIDS crisis on her and her close friends during one of the most prolific times of her career. Speaking of her legendary career which has seen her choreograph Whitney Houston, Elton John and Diana Ross, Arlene talks about growing up in an under privileged area of Manchester and how it instilled in her the drive, determination and Herculean work ethic to succeed and ultimately go on to become one of the most most legendary names in entertainment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.