The Frankie Manning Foundation is thrilled to share some of the amazing work we have supported this year:
Scholars/Ambassadors Program
The Frankie Manning Foundation was able to send nine Scholars/Ambassadors to Lindy hop dance camps and events around the world. Grantees attended Beantown Dance Camp, International Lindy Hop Championships, Swingtime Ball, The Old School, Lindy Focus, Herrang Dance Camp, and Maya Festival. These partnerships represent an incredible opportunity for growth, innovation, scholarship, and the nurturing of our Scholars and Ambassadors. We're excited about the future and the boundless possibilities these collaborations will bring to our vibrant Lindy hop dance community.
Honorariums
The Frankie Manning Foundation provided honorariums for six elders in the Lindy hop community who were recognized during the New York Lindy Exchange at the Alhambra Ballroom on October 6th for their continuous work in spreading the dance around the world over the span of many decades. The honorees were Mr. Sonny Allen, Ms. Barbara Billups, Mr. Ryan Francois, Ms. Crystal Johnson, Ms. Sugar Sullivan, and Mr. Clyde Wilder.
World Lindy Hop Day
On what would have been Frankie Manning's 109th birthday, the Frankie Manning Foundation supported the International Lindy Hop Championships/ World Lindy Hop Day by supplying desserts to honor the occasion. Plenty of cake and sweet potato pie (Frankie's favorite) were provided to all guests in celebration of his memory.
International Lindy Hop Championships Latin America
The Frankie Manning Foundation supported flights for instructors to attend the International Lindy Hop Championship in Brazil. This event was a first, and a great success. We commend all the organizers, instructors, guest speakers, and participants.
Upcoming Programming
This fiscal year (2023-2024) the Frankie Manning Foundation is funding a unique program. Frankie's Lindy Legacy Program is meant to be a model for future endeavors all over the United States. We are supporting a swing dance teacher (Samuel Coleman) who is setting up a Lindy hop track within a traditional Black community youth dance studio in Brooklyn. In the past we have supported initiatives for teaching Lindy hop within public schools (i.e. Poughkeepsie area), and as offshoots of existing Lindy hop programs (i.e Frim Fram, Beantown early days, ILHC juniors). This is the first time we have sponsored a Lindy Hop teacher within an existing dance studio for Black students in an appropriate community. We hope that this will inspire similar dance programs throughout the country.
Donations
The Frankie Manning Foundation is accepting donations. We are limited in budget and would love to be able to support more events and programming. Donations would go a long way toward ensuring that the dance we all love is sustainable in communities throughout the world. Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Thank You!!
The Board of Directors of the Frankie Manning Foundation want to express warmest thanks all of our donors. We are so grateful for your generosity. We send a special thank you to the event organizers who sponsored our Scholars/Ambassadors to attend your events/programs this year. Finally, we'd like to thank swing dancers, organizers, teachers, researchers, and musicians around the world for your passion for Lindy hopping, and for all you do to contribute to your local and/or the international community.