Contributed by Barbara Jones Greetings from Harlem! Spring and a rebirth of energy is upon us all: here is the latest from the place where Lindy Hop all began…. with The Harlem Swing Dance Society (THSDS). Bad News but Good News – The Renaissance Casino and Ballroom Sadly close to 5,000 signatures and the work […]
Blog Posts
Swingin’ Frankie’s Way – The Frankie Show at the Apollo Theater
Whether you’re watching it again or seeing it for the first time, the show directed by Chester Whitmore that took place at Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater last May 22nd, 2014 as part of Frankie 100 was a truly historic presentation. A video to the entire full length show follows the program. Enjoy! Download the Program. […]
Lindy Hop in Academia
By Brittney Stoneburg With its origins as a street dance, Lindy Hop might seem an odd choice for academic research, but its rich history and profound impact on those who participate in its community has led to a numerous fascinating research projects and studies. At Frankie100, a panel of dancers decided to tackle this very […]
The Harlem Swing Dance Society – What’s Happening in Harlem
Contributed by Barbara Jones Hello all! If you’ve been watching the weather its been EXTREMELY frigid in NYC – almost debilitating! Despite this life goes on, and The Harlem Swing Dance Society (THSDS) has interesting news to share. We missed you in the February Issue so here is a combined update on topics and […]
Ambassador Update: Itay Skutelsky
In a few short years, Itay Skutelsky (Herrang Ambassador, 2013) has been instrumental in building a thriving lindy hop scene in Jerusalem. Today, Itay reports, “We have quite a lot of stuff going on here 🙂 First of all we have two nights of classes every week. and many street parties, almost every week there […]
Ambassador Update: Breai Mason-Campbell
Breai (Herrang Ambassador, 2014) has been doing amazing work with her students that began before her scholarship and continues on as a true inspiration. Here’s a video of her 4th grade Big Apple group. Pretty incredible! You can see more of her fantastic videos here. […]
Ambassador Update: Traci Bartlow
News from Traci Bartlow (Herrång Ambassador, 2011) : This past summer, New York City youngsters in a Harlem, Queens and Staten Island were wowed by a show called, “B-Love’s Hip Hop Jazzy Groove”, a lecture/demonstration/performance that shows the connection of Hip Hop dance and the dances of the Harlem Renaissance including, of course, Lindy hop. […]
Ambassador Update: Nando Valoi
When Nando Valoi (Herrang Ambassador, 2012) came to Herrang, lindy hop was new in Maputo, Mozambique. Nando was the lead dancer and teacher of the group now known as Maputo Afro Swing. This past fall he and his group participated in a remarkable cultural exchange between Mozambique and Sweden, with both groups performing and giving […]
Ambassador Update: Samuel Coleman
Spreading the Joy of Lindy Hop Samuel Coleman (Herrang Ambassador, 2011) of New York City is an impeccably dressed vintage fashion plate – and so much more. He continuously attracts new African-American dancers of all ages into lindy hop through his classes in Harlem and his outreach to dancers at Alvin Ailey School, where he works. Samuel […]
Ambassador Update: Jamin Jackson
Since becoming an Ambassador four years ago, Jamin Jackson (Herrang Ambassador, 2011) has made great impact at home and abroad. He founded Vintage Swing Movement Tulsa which runs monthly workshops and an annual event, Greenwood Swingout which will take place May 22-24, 2015. “In the past, hatred and unjust laws kept people apart. During that time, […]
The Harlem Swing Dance Society – WZUP in Harlem
By Barbara A. Jones The Harlem SWOP – with The Harlem Swing Dance Society Culture …. Dance…. Jazz…. Lindy Hop…. SAVOY and Swing! These are the 6 main components The Harlem Swing Dance Society (THSDS) has been highlighting in the village of Harlem and elsewhere for the last 6 years. Slowly and steadily awakening and […]
Frankie Manning: the Passion
By Adam Milligan This time two years ago I had no idea what a rock-step was, had never attempted a swing-out and, in all honesty, had probably never heard of Frankie Manning. I’ve had a long-standing love of rock’n’roll and I grew up thumping a small drum kit to the rhythms of Buddy Holly & […]
