Born in Dunedin, New Zealand Phillipa started her passion for ballet at the age of four, taking ballet classes throughout her high school years at the Mackay School of Dance. After completing high school Phillipa began training full-time at Canterbury Ballet, where she received Distinction for her RAD Advanced 2 exam. In 2008 Phillipa was accepted to further her training at the National Theatre Ballet School in Melbourne. Here, under the directorship of Beverly Jane Fry Phillipa graduated in 2010 with an Advanced Diploma in Arts ( Classical Dance ).