Norma Miller: The Queen of Swing Norma Miller was first discovered as a gifted young Lindy Hopper by Herbert “Whitey” White when she was just 14 years old. Since she was too young to go into the Savoy Ballroom, she often danced outside on the sidewalk where the music could be heard quite well. The […]
Biographies
Learn about the Lindy Hoppers that appear in the films and others
Learn about the Lindy Hoppers that appear in the films and others
Ruth Rheingold (Ettin)
Ruthie Rheingold and Harry Rosenberg “Whitey’s White Lindy Hoppers” When Harry Rosenberg first walked into the legendary Savoy Ballroom in 1936 and looked around the dance floor at the great dancers, he was not intimidated. “I’m gonna be the best dancer in the Savoy Ballroom,” he told himself. Then his eyes fell on Frankie Manning. […]
Harry Rosenberg
Ruthie Rheingold and Harry Rosenberg “Whitey’s White Lindy Hoppers” When Harry Rosenberg first walked into the legendary Savoy Ballroom in 1936 and looked around the dance floor at the great dancers, he was not intimidated. “I’m gonna be the best dancer in the Savoy Ballroom,” he told himself. Then his eyes fell on Frankie […]
Naomi Waller
Naomi Waller, pictured on the left on Frankie Manning’s back, danced in Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers until 1938. In the photo, from the Cotton Club, they were known as “Whyte’s Hopping Maniacs.” She was Frankie Manning’s partner in the Cotton Club show and in the 1937 European tour that followed it. Frankie considered her his first professional […]
“Twistmouth George” Ganaway
“Twistmouth George” aka “Susquehanna” aka George Ganaway. The dancer known as “Twistmouth George” –no doubt to distinguish him from his rival, “Shorty George“– was one of the great dancers and innovators from the earliest days of the Savoy Ballroom. He went on to become a professional solo dancer and did not frequent the Savoy Ballroom […]
Leroy “Stretch” Jones
A popular first generation Lindy Hopper, in the early years of the Savoy Ballroom (1927 to early 1930’s), Leroy “Stretch” Jones was one of Frankie Manning’s idols. Frankie thought of him as the Fred Astaire of Lindy Hop, with his grace and flashy movements. His partner Little Bea was like Ginger Rogers. Stetch was 6 […]
“Shorty George” Snowden
Shorty George Snowden was the top dancer in the Savoy Ballroom from its opening in 1927 into the early 30’s, when he formed the first professional Lindy Hop troupe, the Shorty Snowden Dancers. They performed with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra at the Paradise Club downtown through most of the thirties. Although he was barely five […]
Russell Williams (Rashul Ali)
Russell Williams aka/Rashul Ali was a dancer with Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers who won the Harvest Moon Ball competition with partner Connie Hill in 1940. They are shown dancing together in the famous photo above by Cornell Capa. After WW2, known as “Ali”, he danced in Frankie Manning’s Congaroos Dancers. His untimely death occurred in the […]
Willa Mae Ricker
Willamae Ricker was one of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, featured in the famous 1943 LIFE Magazine story on the Lindy Hop with Leon James, along with the white Broadway dancers, Stanley Catron and Kaye Pop whose picture appears on the cover. The photographs of individual dance steps by Gjon Mili are sensational. Especially notable is a […]
Billy Ricker
Billy Ricker and his high school sweetheart and wife, Willa Mae , were close friends with Frankie Manning from their pre-Savoy days in the early 30’s at the Rennaissance Ballroom till Ricker’s death in 1987. Ricker was a member of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers and later worked as one of Norma Miller’s Jazzmen. He developed a […]
Mildred Pollard
Mildred Pollard aka Sandra Gibson also known as “Boogie” One of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. Her name changed after she married Chocolateer tap dancer Albert “Gib” Gibson, but she was best known by her nickname, “Boogie”. Don’t miss her solo dance in Mura Dehn’s The Spirit Moves to see how she earned her nickname. This film clip is […]
Frankie Manning
The Ambassador of Lindy Hop 1914-2009 No one has contributed more to the Lindy Hop than Frankie Manning — as a dancer, innovator and choreographer. For much of his lifetime he was an unofficial Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Originally touring as a dancer and choreographer with Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers in the 30’s […]
