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 […]
Blog Posts
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 […]
The “Frankie Moves” Video Project
Thank you to Sing Lim for initiating this project, capturing different dancers’ special memories of Frankie Manning. Åsa Heedman Catrine Ljunggren Chester Whitmore Daniel Heedman Elliott Donnelley Fish (Jan Forsell) Juan Villafane Julie Oram Lennart Westerlund Matt Bedell Marcus & Bärbl Ramona Staffeld Ryan Francois Do you have […]
Sharing Frankie Photos
We love seeing your Frankie photos so we thought we’d share of a few of our own. Here are a few photos of our Board Members, Judy Pritchett, Cynthia Millman, and Mandi Gould with Frankie. […]
The Harlem Swing Dance Society – The Harlem SWOP! Harlem Swings into Spring
Hello from Harlem! Spring has sprung – and we have thawed out! Here’s what’s been happening in our neck of the woods: May 1st: A Dance Retrospective featuring Swing, Lindy Hop and the Savoy! A couple of months back The Harlem Swing Dance Society (THSDS) was invited to be a part of a […]
Swing! the Musical – Then & Now
By Mandi Gould As a long time Lindy Hopper and “professional Lindy Hop volunteer”, when I travel it’s usually related to swing dancing in some way. For the past eighteen and a half years, most of my voyages have been made with the explicit purpose of dancing. On the rare occasion that I take a non-dance […]
6 Years Later – Remembering Frankie
By Åsa Heedman Today it is 6 years ago since I got a phone call from a friend in the middle of the night- a phone call to say goodbye. 6 years ago since I missed a very important phone call. 6 years ago that someone, to me one of very, very important persons left. […]
Lindy Hop DJ Corner: You Should DJ Big Band Music
The Frankie Manning Foundation is pleased to welcome guest bloggers on a variety of subjects. Kicking off our new Lindy Hop DJ Corner is Michael Gamble: HELLO, MICHAEL GAMBLE HERE I want to talk to you, dancers and DJ’s, about my passion for big band music. Mostly, I want you to fall in love with […]
The Harlem Swing Dance Society – The Harlem SWOP! The Latest News and FYI from Harlem
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 […]
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 […]
