Remembering Arte Phillips

By Guest Editor Stephanie Risser

It has been a year since we lost our friend, coach, teacher, choreographer, mentor, idol and inspiration – Arte Phillips. We have spent the last year remembering the dances, the rehearsals, the lessons, the shows, the laughs, and all the things we shared with him. As I look back over all of these things I realize how much Arte gave to me in life, and especially in dance. I know that my dancing would not be the same had I not had the chance to work with him. As we mourn the loss of our dear friend, we also need to celebrate his life and all of the things that he gave left behind. The best way I could think to celebrate what he was and what he gave me is to share it with everyone.

“Dance for yourself. If someone else understands, good. If not, no matter. Go right on doing what interests you, and do it until it stops interesting you.” – Louis Horst

To me, this quote sums up Arte and his approach to dance and life. Arte always did what he felt; what felt good, what he felt in the music, and what he felt from inside. He didn’t worry if someone didn’t like it or if it looked stupid. And that’s the best thing he could have ever taught me – Have no shame, do what you do, and never apologize for it! That’s why the best compliment I ever got from Arte was that I was finding myself in the dance. He was so proud, he was glad that I found my own way – he never expected me to be him or anyone else, he wanted me to find what I wanted to express. That is the mark of a great teacher!

Working with Arte on choreography was always a process. I was constantly amazed to see him listen to the music and just do something, then he would listen again and do something similar but slightly different. Each time he was finding something else in the music, enhancing the expression of the music – he never let an accent go by or a break get danced through. He never forgot that the music is the driving force of the dance. His choreography was always a reflection of the music, which also made it easier to remember and much more fun to perform!

Dancing with and for Arte brought me back to the music. Following Arte was not just an exercise in following his movement and lead, but mostly it was about following the music and the rhythm. Sometimes we get caught up in trying to have the perfect technique and make every move perfect, or putting the “right” combination of steps together, that we forget about what we’re really here to do – dance TO and WITH the music.

Listening to the music and expressing himself with no inhibitions is what led Arte to be “out of the box”, his favorite expression. He would do what he felt and not worry whether it was Hustle or Swing or anything for that matter. So many times you would have absolutely no idea what he was doing or how he even came up with some of these things, but it made it so much fun!! He always inspired you to think about the possibilities. It was always about CAN you do it, not is it “right” or “wrong”.

Arte had the utmost respect for anyone who would put themselves out there. While you may be looking at that one person on the dance floor who you think is doing ridiculous things or silly things, Arte was loving them and cheering them on. He had love for anyone who would express themselves freely and really let themselves go, which was one of his specialties – as we all know. How many times would we sit back and just watch him dance by himself in his corner of the dance floor. Not worrying what people were saying about what he was doing. He was accepting of all kinds of dance and dancers and always showed respect for talent and freedom, he didn’t worry whether someone was better than him or different, he just encouraged.

Encouragement was one of the greatest things that Arte gave us – all of us. He wanted people to get better, to enjoy the dance, to feel special and to know how wonderful they are. Arte gave me confidence, while he never lied and told me something was good when it wasn’t, but he always knew how to keep me going. There was never a time that he made me feel like a failure or like I was not worth his time. Everything that happened was just another step on the journey to where you were going. Enjoy the journey, he would say, and he was right.

We can only hope that Arte enjoyed his journey as much as we enjoyed having him as part of ours. There are so many of us that were touched by Arte and his teaching. It is now time for us to pass on what he gave us.

This is only some of what Arte gave to us. Arte is always with me, every time I step on the floor, every time I even think about dance. He is in all of you as well; embrace him and what he taught. Share this with everyone you meet, whether you’re a professional or an amateur – you don’t have to be a teacher to share what he taught us. We can do it in the way that we dance, the way we talk to each other, and the way that we listen. We are a community and we need to share with each other. The love and the light he had is in each of us that he taught, whether in actual lessons or just by watching him. It is now our responsibility to pass on what he gave us – let’s show Arte how much we love him. Share what he taught – love one another, appreciate someone’s talent and what they can teach you. Arte, I love you and miss you – I will never forget you!

“I write about one of the most unique souls ever, Arte. He was a spirit that was addictive on and off the dance floor. I remember his lessons – the lesson is that in our life, nothing is really new. You take a combination of old concepts combined to form a new concept. Arte was able to observe those that came before him and combine their talents to become a new talent. He has released something within me. What was the lesson I received from Arte? To be me.” – Beth Darchi

“Arte always thought outside of the box. His choreography and personal style were definitively “Arte.” He encouraged everyone to find their own style and way of doing things. He never wanted anyone to be an “Arte clone,” and he appreciated anyone who did their own thing. I think he helped me to want to find my own style and to experiment with my own dancing without regard to what other people may think.” – Angela Risser

“Arte taught me how to think out of the box. He encouraged me to make a choice, to be unique, to experiment, try new things, to find myself in the dance and never do the same thing twice. At the beginning, I felt like he jerked me from one side of the pendulum to the other, from the side that stresses doing things one and only one way to the side that stresses finding the art in the dance, being creative and not placing a limit on the number of choices available. It was a concept that changed my dancing significantly. It was very freeing while at the same time foreign. I still haven’t found it but now I have a new place to go. “ – Scott Michielli

“Arte taught me so much technique and so many moves but most of all, to have fun. What I would like to pass on to others is: learning to dance takes time, it’s a process. Don’t be hard on yourself. Remember why you started dancing – it was for the joy and the fun. Don’t ever lose that. Enjoy the journey!” – Joey Commentucci

“I had the privilege and opportunity to train with him both individually and in joint lessons. It’s an understatement to say that he opened my eyes and broadened my horizons to a whole new perspective of dance. I remember in our first lesson he asked me, “What do you think is your biggest strength? I of course, went on to say where my weaknesses are, but he insisted that I answer with a “strength”. I finally did and he took that and we worked on enhancing it. He said most people do that…they want to talk about their weaknesses instead of focusing on their strengths. He encouraged me by saying, “I’ve seen you dance… You are a beautiful dancer and you have so much potential… you just don’t know how much freedom you have!” He wanted me to jus focus on the word “freedom”. I never forgot those inspiring words. I keep them close to my heart, and whenever I feel limited in my ability, I call them to mind for inspiration. That’s what Arte did – he inspired.” – Mary Keegan

Photos courtesy of Michael Cohen – Hustlepix