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Anthony Wheaton

After encouragement from friends, Anthony stumbled across Swing Patrol at Silvers in early 2000. Having been to Silvers on other occasions, Anthony was immensely disappointed to find no cheap beer, no trashy 80’s tunes and not a single "lawn-mower" on the dance floor! His patented funky disco moves (the sprinkler, the bricklayer, the council worker…) no longer welcome, Anthony realised he would have to join this dance revolution or be left behind.

So join he did and it was a life-changing event for the better. That first year moved quickly and finished with Anthony accepting an offer to join the teaching team in 2001.

Since then, Anthony has danced, taught and DJ’d all over Australia, including Brisbane, Hobart, country NSW and Victoria. He has been asked to teach internationally (NZ) and in 2003, DJ’d at Camp Jitterbug in Seattle, USA.

For a recipe on Anthony’s dance style, take three large portions of wild & crazy; add a dash of improvisation and ingenuity, a liberal dose of slapstick comedy and a healthy pinch of raw energy. Mix furiously and grill over the hot tunes of Gene Krupa and Count Basie. Turn often and baste with a light, soulful touch of Ernestine Anderson. It all adds to a tasty meal of style and antics, with plenty of aerial action on the side!

Other useless facts to know about Anthony:

He initiated Swing Patrol’s sponsorship of “Herman” the swingin’ Green Tree Frog at the Melbourne Zoo.
When not dancing, he plays A grade Basketball, reasonable volleyball, ordinary golf, woeful tennis and is banned from ever picking up a squash racquet again. He also acts and sings in amateur theatre when time allows… we’re all quietly hoping time never allows again.
He once lodged a fish hook in the back of his head (always said he was a good catch).
His car used to have red numberplates with "CHOCKO" written on them. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself.
He has broken his leg three times – all from non-contact sports
His real job is with a ba….. ahem…. financial services provider as a marketing and sales support manager.

2003 was a big year for Anthony. In February, he and partner Sarah Farrelly won the Australian Jitterbug Championship – Strictly Lindy division. The pair then embarked on a trip to the USA, visiting cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles and New York. During that time he learnt from some of the best in the business and is now using that teaching to great effect in his own classes.

In Seattle and New York particularly, Anthony was blown away by the return to the origins of Lindy Hop and pure Big Band music. You can now see those influences in Anthony’s dancing with plenty of Fast Lindy and Charleston in evidence.

The trip culminated in the Harlem Jazz Dance Festival (NYC) where Sarah Farrelly and he, alongside John Tenaglia and Nicole Smith, competed against the best Lindy Hop couples from all over the world in the Hellzapoppin’ contest.

When asked why he liked dancing the Lindy Hop so much, he was heard to reply: "I dunno, but… the music is incredible… the girls are awesome… the fat pants are wicked…. Also, there’s a great artistry in throwing your partner into the air, but an even greater artistry in catching them again!"