Hey hey, they're the Wiggles.
The Wiggles are children's entertainers that have rewritten the book about how children can be entertained with song and dance.
Greg, Murray, Jeff and Anthony and the characters they have created are now a part of the lives of so many children. The names Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Captain Feathersword the friendly Pirate are as recognizable to children as The Wiggles themselves.
The Wiggles have always been a touring band, which in part explains the success they have enjoyed. They have kept in constant contact with their public and the public has responded to the music and characters they have created. The Wiggles is an Australian success story that cuts across all demographics, it has now begun to spread across the world stage.
Time magazine recently wrote, The Sydney-based children's group are on more solid ground. With goof-ball grins, a chunky dinosaur name Dorothy, and song titles as simple as Hot Potato, The Wiggles' Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt and Greg Page have struck gold with pre-schoolers '¦ It's this very quality, of course, that kids, parents and educators love. The Wiggles promote social behaviour, urging children to engage with a world that is becoming increasingly virtual.
After 10 years, The Wiggles continue to entertain more and more children around the world. Their ability to relate to their young audience and to create songs that are both entertaining and educational has made The Wiggles incredibly popular with both children and their parents. (It has been estimated that one in two toddlers in Australia either sing-a-long to The Wiggles on video or CD at home or have been to a Wiggles concert). Couple their unique song-writing ability with the foursome's genuine enjoyment of what they do, and the result is a live show which has the littlies (and adults) dancing, clapping and singing in the aisles. The band's Early Childhood training continues to influence the approach they take with their live shows, videos and The Wiggles Movie. Anthony Field feels that a lot of The Wiggles success comes from their knowledge of child development. A lot of what we do comes from a child's perspective, says Anthony. It's got a lot to do with what songs are about and the language we use, and I like to think we know how to write pretty catchy tunes. Right from the start we gave a lot of thought to what was appropriate for children's music.
While The Wiggles regularly tour throughout Australia, The Wiggles have also appeared three times in New Zealand - where in the first instance they featured at the Mega-Days Children's Expo in Auckland. They have also toured the UK twice and the USA nine times.