BY LINDA SEABORN
HOBART — Hobart's Dancing Man, Anthony Day, a popular dancer, artist and poet, has died in Melbourne. He was a well-loved character on the streets, often seen dancing, performing and bringing a smile to the face of passers-by.
He was described by his father, Ian Day, as a free spirit: "His main aim in life was to make people smile. He found it hard to stick to the rules of society — his way of releasing the pressure was to dance it away, sing it away or write it away."
Anthony was pressured by the police because of his unconventional behaviour, and was actually arrested for disobeying a police order — to "move along" after cartwheeling in the mall. Despite Anthony's plea for the charge to be dropped, the police commissioner upheld it and the court found Anthony guilty and fined him $50. By this time he had moved to Melbourne, unwilling to return because he was so uncomfortable with the problems with the police. Then, last week, he died.
The local newspaper, the Mockery — sorry, the Mercury — has been flooded with letters about how Anthony touched so many people's lives. Some have called for a memorial plaque or work of art to be installed in the mall to commemorate him. A local youth centre has a memorial display. Youth worker Lyn Carson said, "He was very close to the young people, he cared a lot about their welfare and looked after them, street kids especially". For days, the mall has been decorated with chalk messages, pictures, flowers and dancers.
Many people have said they wish they had supported Anthony more when he was going through problems with police. This is a lesson to all of us, that those special people, like Anthony, who dare to be different, who don't take up their "place" within the capitalist system, but live their life as work of art, deserve and need our support and protection.
[Linda Seaborn is a member of the Socialist Alliance.]
From Green Left Weekly, June 4, 2003.
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