Dame Arlene Phillips Receives Freedom Of The City Of London

Olivier Award-winning choreographer and theatre director, Dame Arlene Phillips, received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her outstanding contribution to dance and support for charitable causes.

Widely recognised as a pioneer of jazz dance in the UK, she developed her signature style inspired by American Modern Jazz and taught at Dance Centre, Pineapple Dance Studios, and numerous stage schools, including Italia Conti and Arts Educational.

From creating the dance group, Hot Gossip, in the 1970s to working with stars from film, television, and theatre, Arlene has become a household name. Celebrated for choreographing hit West End and Broadway musicals, Hollywood films, and music videos, her expertise extends through to her television work as a dance show judge and presenter. In 2021, Dame Arlene was honoured as a DBE for services to dance and charity.

Her recent projects include Guys & Dolls at Bridge Theatre; the new musical, I Wish You Well, at the Edinburgh Fringe; the recent UK tour of Grease, which followed on from two successful runs at Dominion Theatre, as well as celebrating 38 years of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express in Germany as choreographer and director, while also being creative dramaturg on the London revival of the show.

Dame Arlene, who was nominated for the Freedom by the City of London Corporation’s Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, and Sheriff of the City of London, Keith Bottomley, attended her ceremony in the Chamberlain’s Court at Guildhall this afternoon.

Speaking after her Freedom ceremony, Dame Arlene Phillips, said: “I’m very honoured to be recognised by being given the Freedom of the City of London and it is truly a privilege to join such an eminent list of recipients. Although I was born in Manchester, London is where I started my career as a choreographer and it has been my home for over 60 years. Thank you to everyone involved, especially, my nominators, Chris Hayward and Keith Bottomley, who I had the pleasure to work with when we launched ‘Let’s Dance!’ at the Old Bailey earlier this year.”

City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “By receiving the Freedom of the City of London, Dame Arlene Phillips is stepping gracefully into a well-choreographed line-up, which includes Strictly’s Oti Mabuse and Len Goodman, the celebrated choreographer and director, Sir Matthew Bourne, and her friend and colleague, Angela Rippon. It has been an absolute pleasure to join my colleague, Keith Bottomley, in nominating Dame Arlene for the Freedom for what she brought to dance in a career spanning five decades, and for her charity work.”

Sheriff of the City of London, Keith Bottomley, said: “Arlene is an icon of the UK’s creative industries and is passionate about community dance, and bringing the joys, and emotional and physical benefits of dance and movement to a wide audience. Her expertise, vision, and ingenuity as a leading choreographer of major films, and West End and Broadway shows, and her wisdom and warmth as a TV dance judge have won her legions of fans all over the world.”

One of the City of London’s ancient traditions, the Freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade. As well as being nominated for, or applying for, the Freedom, it is also offered by the City of London Corporation to individuals as a way of paying tribute to their outstanding contribution to London or public life, or to celebrate a very significant achievement. 

Recent notable recipients include TV and radio presenter and cancer charity ambassador, Gloria Hunniford; two-time Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian, Cate Blanchett; City of London Police Special Constable and TV presenter, Penny Lancaster; novelist, Ken Follett; and actor, Ray Winstone.