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Anton Du Beke Anton began his dance training at the relatively late age of fourteen, but his natural ability soon shone through, leading to quick progression and instant success. A versatile dancer, Anton trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, latin and modern theatre dance before finally concentrating on ballroom. His performances soon led to both British and International awards and his partnership with Erin instantly caught the attention of the ballroom world.Within a year of dancing together they won the 1998 New Zealand Championships - which they followed by winning again in 1999 - and they also made it to the prestigious International Dance Championships at the Royal Albert Hall. After racing right up the Amateur rankings, they turned Professional in 2002 and instantly placed third in the United Kingdom in their first competition at Blackpool. They were also UBC Canadian Champions in 2002, IDTA Classic Champions in 2003 and 2004, BDF Star Ball finalists and UK and International Rising Star finalists in 2003 and British National finalists in 2002, 2003 and 2004. They also reached an incredible Top-24 world ranking. Anton became one of television’s most loved personalities when he appeared on the BBC One smash hit programme ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2004 and has since taken part in every series. He has partnered an array of personalities from the entertainment world, including opera singer Lesley Garrett C.B.E., television presenter and charity campaigner Esther Rantzen C.B.E., actress Patsy Palmer and most recently, comedienne Jan Ravens. Although reaching the semi-finals in the first series with Lesley Garrett remains Anton’s greatest result so far - which also led to an appearance on a Christmas Special edition of the show - his cheeky charm, quick wit and reassuring nature have resulted in Anton becoming a firm favourite among viewers. His partner for 2007 is GMTV presenter Kate Garraway. He has since collaborated with Lesley Garrett for a variety of special concerts and they additionally combined to present the BBC documentary ‘Kings Of Waltzes‘. Anton has also presented ‘City Hospital’ and was thrilled to host his own radio show on BBC Radio Oxford in 2006. Other television appearances have included ‘Celebrity Star Spell‘, ‘Test The Nation‘, ‘Celebrity The Weakest Link‘, ‘Loose Women‘, ‘GMTV‘, ‘Richard and Judy’ and Rob Brydon’s ‘Annually Retentive‘. He also took part as a choreographer, teacher and dancer in the live show ‘Dancing in the Streets: The Ballroom Blitz‘, which was filmed in Trafalgar Square and has coached competitors for both ‘Strictly Dance Fever’ and the popular talent show, ‘Let me Entertain you‘. In 2007 Anton also became a contestant himself when he took part in ‘Underdogs’ which raised awareness for the need to re-home rescue dogs and raised money for The Dog’s Trust. Anton has now also branched into stage shows, choreographing the phenomenally successful ’Simply Ballroom’ with Erin Boag and legendary director Alan Harding. He is also a Production Associate. The show has been a hit with theatre critics and has delighted sell-out audiences all over the country. It has also toured in Dubai, Las Vegas and South Africa. In 2006 Anton and Erin joined the cast to perform in a special presentation of the show at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and in November 2007, a unique performance of the show will be released on DVD featuring special guest appearances by two of Anton and Erin’s former Strictly Come Dancing partners - Lesley Garrett and Julian Clary. Anton is currently working on new numbers for the show, which will return for a brand new tour in 2008. 2007 has been another very successful year for Anton. He has performed in numerous concerts with Claire Sweeney and has written his own book, ‘Anton’s Dance Class‘, to be published by Kyle Cathie Ltd. He has also recorded two ‘Learn to Dance’ DVDs which will be given away as part of a series by the Daily Express. Anton is in high demand as a teacher and additionally hosts incredibly popular dance weekends at five star hotels around the country, which are always complete sell-outs. Anton and Erin also continue to be invited to perform in a variety of concerts, charity galas and corporate shows and also present many team building events for clients such as BT, Coutts Bank and the EEIBA. Last updated: 5th Oct 2007 |
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