The one lesson I’ve learned from life

IT’S ALL RIGHT TO BE THE ODD ONE OUT

Dancer and choreographer arlene Phillips cBe, 74, is a former judge on Strictly come Dancing. She lives in London with her partner, angus Ion, and has two daughters, alana, 38, and abi, 26. My parents took me to the ballet when I was very small, and I was desperate to go to a dance school. But there wasn’t money to spare on classes. We lived in Manchester. Dad was a barber and Mum worked in a school.

eventually, when I was eight, an uncle decided he would pay for my ballet lessons. We could only afford half-price green ballet shoes, rather than pink ones, so I knew I’d have to be brave: no child likes to be the odd one out.

I quickly learnt that it was only the best who got on the front row. and I definitely wanted to be in the front row. I had to work hard catch up with those who had been having lessons much earlier than I had. they had three lessons a week — I had only one. I got to the front by sheer hard work.

By the time I was 15, I was about to audition to go to ballet school in London when my mother died of leukaemia. I had to stay in Manchester to be with my family and settle with applying for a general dance course there. eventually, I moved to London to assist top U.s. dancer Molly Molloy and attend her lessons, but unlike the other students, I had to do three jobs to support myself.

after assisting her for a while, Molly left for paris, and I inherited her teaching and choreography work. I put together an experimental dance group, Hot Gossip, and dressed them in dyed lingerie. We got a lucky break after a producer saw a picture of the group. an invitation to appear on the Kenny everett Video show followed — all the hard work long hours had paid off.

I know how fortunate I am to have a creative job that I love. But I always tell dancers that the only way to succeed is to work as hard as you can and never give up. as one of the original judges on strictly Come Dancing, I was the only female, definitely the odd one out!

sometimes, standing up for yourself and what you believe in is the only way.

arLene supports Macmillan cancer Support’s World’s Biggest coffee Morning, sponsored by M&S, on Friday. Visit macmillan.org.uk/coffee