The Stage

Burnham appoints Arlene Philips as ‘dance champion’

Published Thursday 13 August 2009 at 18:02 by Lalayn Baluch

Former Strictly Come Dancing judge and Youth Dance England patron Arlene Philips is to lead a group of “dance champions” in a national campaign to boost participation in the artform in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

The choreographer – who was recently sacked from the show in favour of singer Alexsha Dixon - will be joined by Strictly Come Dancing contestants Lisa Snowdon and Darren Bennet, as well as Come Dancing star Angela Rippon.

The Dance Champions Group will be chaired by entrepreneur Rod Aldridge, chairman of the Aldridge Foundation, chair of the Lowry, and a founding director of Essentially Dance.

The news was announced as part of health secretary, and former culture secretary, Andy Burnham’s campaign to make physical activity the “cornerstone of 21st century health”.

Burham said: “We are a sport-loving nation but we are simply nowhere near as active as we should be.”

The news was welcomed by Dance UK director Caroline Miller.

She said: “Dance UK is really pleased that Andy Burnham has built on Alan Johnson’s announcement last year that dance can play a role in improving the nation’s health. Johnson was inspired by John Sergeant’s weight loss on Strictly Come Dancing.”

“This is part of the growing profile dance has in government which was kick-started by the dance sector uniting to create the Dance Manifesto in 2006, which was presented to the minister for culture.”

The dance manifesto highlights how dance can play a key role in Britain, both artistically and socially, to improve the health of people of all ages.

To download the Dance Manifesto or to sign-up as a supporter go to www.danceuk.org