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Dancers

Frankie Manning (1914-2009)
Ambassador of Lindy Hop

If there’s any dancer you should know about, it’s Frankie!  Frankie was a dancer, instructor and choreographer during the swing era as well as during the resurgence of swing in the 1980’s.  He started dancing at the Savoy in Harlem as a teenager in 1933.   In 1934, he was invited by Herbert “Whitey” White to join Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, a professional dance troupe, where he became a lead dancer and chief choreographer.  He was the creator of the first air step (Over-the-Back), the choreographer for the Big Apple (among other dances), and the one who introduced a more horizontal style to lindy hop.  Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers disbanded during WWII and Frankie joined the Army.  After his release from the military in 1946, Frankie formed his own dance troupe, the Congeroo Dancers who toured with various artists.  But with the rise of bebop and rock and roll in the 50’s, Frankie lost work as a dancer/choreographer.  In 1955, he joined the United States Postal Service and worked as a postal worker for over 30 years.    The 80’s brought the return of swing dancing and with it, Frankie Manning! Frankie returned to teaching, choreography and dancing and in 1999, he celebrated his 85th birthday by dancing with 85 dance partners!  Frankie passed away in 2009, at the age of 94, but his legacy continues to live on.  “Frankie lives on.  He’s out there on every dance floor.  When we dance, it’s his spirit that’s leading us”- Judy Pritchett (Frankie’s companion)

NORMA MILLER (1919-2019)
QUEEN OF SWING

Norma was a dancer, choreographer, comedian, author, actress, singer, songwriter, and creative director.  Norma got her introduction to lindy hop at a young age.  She lived in an apartment near the Savoy where she could hear the music and see the silhouettes of the dancers.  Norma would often imitate the dancers with her friends.  In 1932, while dancing outside of the Savoy Ballroom, Twist Mouth George Ganaway, one of the early creators of lindy hop, saw Norma and whisked her away into the Savoy for a dance.  Norma was only 12 at the time, and had to leave after the dance due to her age.
As a teenager, Norma would dance at the Renaissance “Renny” Ballroom, a place where young dancers, like Frankie Manning, would go until they were old enough for the Savoy.  She was discovered by Herbert “Whitey” White after her and her partner, Sonny Ashby, won a dance contest.  She became the youngest dance member on Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers and began her professional career at the age of 15. While part of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, Norma got to travel to Europe and Brazil and dance in films such as "A Day at the Races" and "Hellzapoppin’". 
Norma would go on to form her own troupe, the Norma Miller Dancers, take up a career in comedy,  write a memoir and share her love and knowledge of swing dance with dancers around the world up until she passed away at 99. 

Herbert "Whitey" White and Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

Herbert “Whitey" White was a former boxer who became a bouncer at the Savoy ballroom. He was nicknamed “Whitey” for the white streak in his hair. Whitey is known for forming Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers- a professional dance troupe from Harlem. He had an eye for talent and would recruit dancers, such as Frankie Manning and Norma Miller, from the Savoy Ballroom to join his troupe. Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers performed in the U.S., Europe and Australia, competed at the Harvest Moon Ball, and were featured in several movies, most notably “Hellzapoppin’” and “A Day at the Races”.  When they weren’t performing, you could find Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers in “The Corner” of the Savoy social dancing or teaching each other new moves.

danceS & Routines

The Shim Sham (1926)​

The Shim Sham was created in the 1920’s by Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant when the two were asked by the Whitman Sisters to come up with a finale for their show.   At the time, the tap dance was done to the song, “Turkey in the Straw”.  The dance became the finale for performances all over Harlem in the 1930’s with lindy hoppers performing it without the taps.  In the 1980’s, Frankie Manning went on to create a version for swing dancers which eliminated the taps and introduced boogie forwards, boogie backs and shorty georges. According to Frankie, the Shim Sham was not an organized dance and was only 2 choruses when danced at the Savoy.  
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Where did the name “Shim Sham” come from?  According to Reed, the dance got its name after a dance troupe, The Three Little Words, performed it at a club called the Shim Sham, thus it became the “Shim Sham Shimmy”.

Variations:
Al and Leon Shim Sham
Dean Collins Shim Sham
Frankie Manning Shim Sham
Frankie and Chazz Shim Sham
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Leonard Reed
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Willie Bryant

MuSicians & Singers

Count Basie (1904-1984)

Count Basie (1904-1984).  Count Basie is a famous bandleader and pianist from the big band era.  He originally wanted to be a drummer but opted for the piano after hearing how talented Sonny Greer was on drums.  In 1924, Basie moved to New York City as a teenager and toured as a pianist and accompanist on the major vaudeville circuits. In 1928, he joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils but left in 1929 to join their rival band, the Bennie Moten band.  Moten was a pianist, so Basie served as an arranger and second pianist for the band.   After Moten’s death in 1935, Basie formed his own band, Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm, which included former members of the Blue Devils and Bennie Moten Band.  The band played at the Reno Club in Kansas City where their music was broadcasted on the radio.  Their music caught the attention of John Hammond who wrote to Basie about introducing the band to larger audiences.  In 1937, the Count Basie Orchestra moved to New York City where they would play at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and the Savoy.  It was during this time that they would become one of the world’s greatest bands.

Does “One O’ Clock Jump” get your toes tapping?  Does “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” get your swingouts on?  You have Count Basie to thank for that!  
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Count Basie (piano) with the Count Basie Orchestra

Ballrooms

The Savoy Ballroom (1926)
​"World's Finest Ballroom"

Much of the dance we love was created within the walls of the Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy was located on the second floor of a two-story building that stretched out an entire block in Harlem. It is said that it was one of the first racially integrated public places in the country. An estimated 700,000 people attended the Savoy annually, which required the floor to be replaced every 3 years! The Savoy featured two bandstands which allowed music to be played continuously throughout the night. This also provided a stage for battles between bands, such as the most well-known battle between Chick Webb (who was the Savoy’s house band featuring Ella Fitzgerald) and Benny Goodman. The Savoy was home to Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, the professional dance troupe that included Frankie Manning and Norma Miller, who you could find working on their dance and routines in the corner. Despite efforts to save it, the Savoy was demolished around 1958. In 2002, Frankie and Norma unveiled the Savoy Ballroom commemorative plaque that still stands today. ​

The Renaissance Theater & Casino-“Rennie” (1921)

​The Rennie was the first theater in New York owned and operated by African-Americans. It was home to a casino, theater and ballroom. The Rennie held dances and featured musicians and singers such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. Dancers, such as Frankie and Norma, got their start at the Rennie since the Savoy did not allow younger dancers in the ballroom.