She's been called 'The Queen of Mean' for her comments on Strictly Come Dancing, but expert choreographer Arlene Phillips, 65, was sweet as a nut when she spoke exclusively to the Post about her latest project Flashdance – The Musical, which comes to Nottingham this month.

Flashdance is the latest in a long line of musicals you have choreographed. What makes it stand out from the rest?

"Absolutely I've done lots of musicals; it's what I do. But as a choreographer you often don't get to work on musicals with a lot of dancing. That might sound odd, but a lot of musicals are about telling the story, whereas with Flashdance there's a lot of choreography. There are all the songs we know and love – What A Feeling, I Love Rock and Roll, and Maniac – but in fact we've had a lot of new music written, and there's one in the dance school called High Art which is one of my favourite moments in the show. Of course, What a Feeling is very touching and moving in the lead character's final audition. It's such an evocative song and so many re-makes of that moment have been done by different pop stars, including Geri Halliwell."

What can the Nottingham audience expect from leading actress Victoria Hamilton-Barritt?

"I worked with Victoria when she was in Saturday Night Fever in the West End and I knew she was a girl with an extraordinary voice, and a fantastic dancer. But in Flashdance she IS the story. She's got such a rich, strong, powerful voice. As Alex she makes you laugh and cry and when she dances, she brings something to it that speaks the story through dance."

What about Bruno Langley as the leading man – we're more used to seeing him as limp Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street.

"Bruno has made the part of Jimmy, I can really say that. It's a character who starts full of energy and hope, but it becomes very desperate. He without question makes this role."

What are your ambitions for Flashdance?

"I want it to do well on tour but then we are planning for it to come to the West End in the autumn of 2009 and I can't wait. It is a musical that should be seen by everybody. It's so full of hope and that's what everybody wants right now."

You've had a hugely distinguished career in dance. What were the pivotal moments for you?

"Two things. One as the creator of the dance troupe Hot Gossip; that took off in a way that I never expected. After we appeared on The Kenny Everett Show, it changed the way people saw dancers. Suddenly dancers were very powerful, sexy and of-the-time. So my career took of in TV and music videos in the late 70s and early 80s. And then, second, Andrew Lloyd Webber asked me to choreograph Starlight Express, which launched my career into musicals; I did Grease, We Will Rock You, and The Sound of Music among others. Suddenly, as a theatre choreographer I was going all over the world and it was a big, big breakthrough."

You've worked on music videos with some global icons but is it Strictly Come Dancing that has made you a household name?

"I've worked with Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin...

"I was going all over. I would travel to Detroit for two days to do a commercial with Tina Turner, then I would go to LA to work with the Bee Gees, or Elton John in the south of France. When Hot Gossip were launched, that was the first time my name became known as a choreographer, so it was bubbling under and it was always there, but Strictly has certainly become the Arlene Phillips that people know today."

Can you tell us some inside gossip on some of the big names you've worked with?

"Whitney Houston was incredible. I did How Will I Know here in the UK, and I Wanna Dance with Somebody in New York. She was just such a fantastic artist. I remember watching every attention to detail even though, when you're making a video, you're working to a track she would sing and her voice was just joyful. That was in her heyday. I didn't keep in touch. When you're working with big stars they don't remain in one place. I also worked with Robbie Williams on Rock DJ. He was quite isolated and very much into himself; thoughtful. People work in different ways in videos with dancers. Some don't connect with what's around them. When I worked with Diana Ross she started off very isolated from the dancers. But we were working outdoors at 2am in the morning and it was freezing cold, and suddenly she sort of bonded with all the dancers – it is quite extraordinary after spending all day keeping herself to herself! But Elton John, for example, always connects with the dancers, always."

Is it true that you introduced Sarah Brightman to Andrew Lloyd Webber?

"Yes, she was in Hot Gossip and was our lead singer on Starship Trooper. I had known Andrew for a long time and knew what a wonderful voice Sarah had, so I got the two of them together. It was an amazing showbusiness partnership."

What are your goals for 2009?

Obviously to keep on working, and if I can create more TV programmes then I'd love to do that. Brittania High was a wonderful show to create.

How do you fit it all in around your family [Arlene is married to set designer Angus Ion and has two daughters, Alana and Abi]?

"I don't know! I'm in a position where I choose what I do, and I always take off the school holidays with my youngest daughter [Abi], who's doing her A-Levels at school. Sometimes you work like crazy, then you'll have a break. My daughters are grown-up now, but when they were little I'd take them along with me. Wherever I was, they were. My oldest daughter [Alana] played Frankie in Grease at the beginning of 2008, but she's also trained as a make-up artist and went into that full-time. She's absolutely loving it."

The press attention surrounding Strictly Come Dancing seemed very cynical and critical this year. Does it tarnish it for you?

"It is wearing. It's funny because everything that has been part of the programme – the judges saying we love this one and hate that one – has always been treated as a fun part of the programme in the past, like the pantomime villains and the good fairies. But it's the first time that everything we've done as the judges – the perception has changed. So it is hard. We love the programme and it's hard to pick yourself up, but as Bruno Tonioli says: never read the papers, don't watch the news, then you'll have no idea what they're saying and we'll just carry on as usual."

Flashdance – The Musical is at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall from January 12 to 24.