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Dancer Profiles

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Clive Phillips

Owner / Director / Elite Instructor

English born, raised in Australia

Clive won his first Ballroom dance competition in Australia at the age of 9.

 

His 30+ years of experience and achievement as a world-class performer and instructor brings a perspective and insight to his dance instruction. The progress and achievements of his students is testimony to the value of his experience.

 

Co-founder of the original Dance New York Inc, the world-renowned Ballroom and Latin dance studio in NYC 28 years ago. 

Currently operating and teaching at the most recent Dance New York in Canton, Michigan.

 

Trainer and Pro-Am instructor for the current 2019 British Rhythm Champion

2016 World Dancesport Series Championship Top Teacher

Two time United States National Nine Dance Champion

Australian National Champion

Winner of over 200 National & International Dance Competitions

 

Clive co-created, choreographed and directed a ninety-minute production "Let’s Dance the Night Away” and led the production on a 2 year tour thru Australia.

 

Clive has had many celebrity students, including Rosanna Arquette, Jennifer Beals, Campbell Scott, Anita Gillette and Yancey Butler.

 

He co-hosted with Suzanne Somers at the World Amateur Latin Championships, and at the Amateur Standard World Championships in Miami.

Clive also co-hosted the Monoco Dancesport Championships with Marilou Henner.

 

National Adjudicator for 2005 United States Championships

 

Associate/Members Degree in all 5 categories:

            International Standard

            International Latin

            American Smooth

            American Rhythm

            Theater Arts

 

Member Of:

National Dance Council of America

Terpsichore

Screen Actors Guild

Professional Dance Federation

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Suzanne Phillips

 Owner / Director / Elite Instructor

Suzanne Phillips brings more than 30 years of dance training and performance experience to the dance world. Beyond her excellent credentials as a dancer and an instructor, she is a creative, intuitive mentor in mind and body for her students, and her professional experience provides an insight to self-expression, which is a critical factor in the development of a dancer at any level.

 

Suzanne co-founded Dance New York, a world-renowned dance studio, 28 years ago. She was co-instructor for Ballroom Master Classes for 3rd year students at the New York University School of the Arts, responsible for ballroom dance curriculum and student training. She also co-created, choreographed and directed “Let’s Dance the Night Away,” a ninety-minute production, which toured Australia for 2 years.

 

Suzanne, born and raised in Michigan, moved to NYC at the age of 18 to pursue her career in dance. With a strong background in Theater Arts, Suzanne was a featured dancer at Radio City Music Hall in the Christmas and Easter shows for 6 years. During the hectic Christmas season, Suzanne would sometimes do more than 20 shows in a week. She also appeared in the Denver Center Theater Company production of "The Stories of Eva Luna", as well as movies, commercials and numerous national and international touring productions.

 

Suzanne has worked with Tommy Tune, Liza Minelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis, and has danced with Patrick Stewart and Campbell Scott.

 

Industrials include:

Ellesse, Toyota, IBM, Reebok and Mattel

 

Titles include:

Triple Crown American Smooth & International Standard Champion

Manhattan Dancesport American Smooth & Intl Standard Champion 

Tri-State Open American Smooth Champion 

Houston Lonestar Classic American Smooth Champion

Nevada Star Ball American Smooth Champion

VA State Open American Smooth Champion

WI State DS American Smooth Champion

 

Member of:

National Dance Council of America

Screen Actors Guild

AGVA

AFTRA

Cecchetti-Highly Commended Grades I & II

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Emily Solecki

Ballroom and Latin Instructor

Emily Solecki has had a passion for dancing ever since she could walk. After spending the first years of her life dancing around her house, her parents decided to sign her up for dance class. Her dance career started 20 years ago in the same building location that currently houses Dance New York.

She has experience in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Contemporary, Pointe, and Pom. She trained at Curtain Call Dance Studio from 2003-2013 and then at Synergy Dance Academy from 2013-2016 where she joined their competitive team in 2014 earning a Platinum Award for their group routine. Emily has always enjoyed not only dancing, but teaching and choreographing as well. She has assisted in multiple dance classes, as well as choreographed multiple dances during her teenage years.

 

While Emily loved the dance styles she had grown up with, she felt it was time to try something new. She became inspired with Ballroom dancing by watching Dancing with the Stars when she was in high school, and one day hoped to get involved in the Ballroom world. It was a wonderful surprise when one day across the parking lot from her studio at the time, there was a sign that read 'Ballroom and Latin dance studio coming soon'. Each week she saw the progress of this new studio being built, not knowing how much joy it would bring her the next couple of years. With her admittance to the University of Michigan-Dearborn that fall she wasn’t sure how much time she could devote to dancing. In August of 2016, she went to a viewing of “Singing in the Rain” at Plymouth’s Penn Theatre. She has always loved Gene Kelly, and this inspired her to go to Dance New York that night and sign up for a dance class. Not only did she get to join a dance class, but she was also offered a job as a receptionist there which helped her pay her way through college.

 

Emily began training with Clive and Suzanne in 2016 and performed in multiple showcases, along with competed in the 2018 and 2019 Michigan Dance Challenge. In 2018, she led the youth program at Dance New York as her first teaching experience and continued to choreograph and performed in multiple showcase routines with the youth clients. In December of 2020, she graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Marketing, however, her true passion has always been in dance, so since then she has decided to pursue her dance career which she loves every minute of.

Emily is thankful to be a part of the Dance New York team and looks forward to sharing her love of dance with you all.

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Dancer Profiles: Dance Company
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