Some of us remember the days of the Vietnam War: unending gloomy news, daily atrocities on our TV screens. It is heartening to realize that there is peace in Vietnam today and even a thriving swing dance community in Hanoi, Saigon/ Ho Chi Minh City and even in once strife-torn Da Nang. Thank you to Thuy […]
Blog Posts
How would you answer these Lindy Hop questions?
Questions for Event Organizers, Teachers, and Scene Leaders in the Lindy Hop Community There have been some important discussions taking place in the Lindy Hop community about recognizing the Black origins of the dance. Julia Loving has created a list of some questions for event organizers to think about. This is a great list for […]
How to Organize a Taxi Dance
Guest Post by Jo Hoffberg. Dance with your favorite instructors and raise money at the same time! Have you ever participated in a taxi dance? Taxi dances a great way to raise money for a good cause–like for the Frankie Manning Foundation–and they’re always a lot of fun for everyone involved. The basic premise […]
Workshop International Colombia México
When I came back from Argentina in 2012, I had the strong desire to see people enjoying this wonderful Lindy Hop dance in Medellín. After almost 4 years of trying, this desire has become a reality; today we have two important locations in the city where we teach Lindy Hop dance lessons weekly, Pablo Tobón […]
World Lindy Hop Day Catalonia 2016 – A Frankie Month Recap
It’s no secret that Lindy Hop has become a worldwide phenomenon; no matter where you live, no matter how far you travel, you can find a place to dance. What’s more, each year brings new stories about the growth of Lindy Hop communities around the globe. This year, as Frankie Month came into full swing […]
Frankie Month in Brazil
We’ve received a wonderful update about the BeHoppers lindy hop group in Brazil: “Here in Brazil we (the BeHoppers) we decided to honor Frankie Manning with a special campaign. Inspired by Laura Jeffers´post , we decided to release one video per day with some of the Frankie Manning favorite steps . We’re getting a […]
Check your Facebook preferences
Are you receiving updates from the Frankie Manning Foundation Facebook page? Did you know that “liking” a page isn’t enough to receive page updates? You must also now adjust your settings for all of your favorite Facebook pages in order to receive the updates in your newsfeed. Here’s how to adjust your preferences: Underneath the “like” button, […]
Frankie Manning’s Favorite Steps
Thank you to the 9:20 Special in San Francisco for this guest post. They’re organizing a Frankie Celebration as part of Frankie Month in May and this list of Frankie’s Favorite Steps is part of that effort. Initially Compiled by Laura Jeffers, Edited by Rik Panganiban, April 2016 With Frankie Manning’s birthday coming up, some of us […]
Frankie Manning on Broadway
Just a few years after Frankie Manning retired from the Post Office, when the momentum of the swing dance revival was just starting to build, he was approached by two Broadway producers who were bringing the Paris production of “Black and Blue” to Broadway. They had heard that Frankie was an original dancer of the Harlem […]
Lindy Hop for All: Interviews and Oral History of the Frankie Manning Foundation
Interviews conducted & article written by Dan Gorman The Frankie Manning Foundation only came into existence six years ago, but today it is at the forefront of the global swing dance scene. Frankie Manning was one of the originators of the lindy hop at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and he later played a pivotal […]
FMF Ambassador Kevin Harris Continues Grandfather’s Legacy
Our FMF Ambassadors are special people. They are talented dancers, of course, but they are also trailblazers – they are introducing Lindy hop in new communities which may not have even heard of it before. They are naturally curious and they are lifetime learners. And they are also very generous teachers, sharing what they know. […]
Mother City Hop
Guest Post by Brendan Argent In the 1940s, musicians in Sophiatown (South Africa) started playing swing music in the style of the American big bands they heard on the radio. Before long, the neighbourhood became know as ‘Little Harlem’. This South African swing had a very distinctive flavour as the (often homemade) penny whistles and […]
