One of the great dancers of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, Al Minns was an energetic dancer with a wild, crazy-leg style reminiscentof “Long-Legged George” Grenidge. Minns was in Whitey’s top group, known as The Harlem Congaroos and appeared in the feature film Hellzapoppin’ and in the popular soundie Hot Chocolates. As the youngest dancer in this […]
The Golden Age
Ann Johnson
A wonderfully athletic and agile dancer, Ann Johnson was Frankie Manning’s partner in Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers in 1940-1942. Manning says she was like a cat: ” No matter what way I threw her, she would land on her feet…She was also a wonderful human being.”. She appeared with Manning twice in Life Magazine, once anonymously […]
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 […]
Dorothy “Dot” Johnson
The Lindy Hopper known as Tiny Bunch was a huge King Kong of a man, over 300 pounds, but he was a graceful and agile dancer. His partner, Dot Johnson, was quite petite like King Kong movie co-star Fay Wray. This humorous couple was immortalized by the photographer Aaron Siskind in his photo, At the […]
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 […]
George Grenidge
aka “Long-Legged George”, “Long George” An important figure in the Golden Age of Lindy Hop, and a member of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, George Grenidge danced in three of the five feature films that were made by the group, including the ill-fated Everybody Sing, with Judy Garland. During the mid to late thirties, […]
Leon James
Leon James, one of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, had one of the greatest on-stage personalities in Lindy Hopping. With his constantly moving legs and hands and his flashing eyes, everyone would always notice him first. His styling was a favorite of the ladies at the Savoy, who still like to remember the way he moved his […]
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 […]
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 […]
Norma Miller
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 […]
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 […]
Tiny Bunch
The Lindy Hopper known as Tiny Bunch was a huge King Kong of a man, over 300 pounds, but he was a graceful and agile dancer. His partner, Dot Johnson, was quite petite like King Kong movie co-star Fay Wray. This humorous couple was immortalized by the photographer Aaron Siskind in his photo, At the […]
