Spring is in the air and we are approaching the month of May… which means Frankie Month!
Frankie Manning’s birthday is May 26th and we’ll be using the entire month of May to honor Frankie’s contributions to lindy hop and his positive spirit.
Every May, celebrate Frankie Month in your home town:
Tell people about Frankie Manning and the history and origins of Lindy hop
Share Frankie videos and stories
Party like Frankie! Throw a swingin’ birthday party or a lindy hop dance that Frankie would have enjoyed
Play the music of the Savoy Ballroom and the big bands of the swing era
Hold Frankie Manning inspired dance classes and workshops; here’s a great list and here are some helpful videos
Emphasize Frankie’s values in your community
Read Frankie’s autobiography, Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop
Raise funds so that the Frankie Manning Foundation can continue Frankie’s mission
Use #FrankieMonth when sharing your plans on social media
**If you will be throwing an event to celebrate Frankie Manning and you have a Facebook event, please send us the Facebook event link and we’ll add it to our list of events. Please make sure that Frankie is prominently featured in the event so that it’s clear it’s part of Frankie Month.**
The Spirit of Frankie Month
In the spirit of Frankie, we encourage you to:
Collaborate and make it inclusive within your community.
Contact other dancers and local organizers and work together to make it a celebration that unites all dancers in your community.
Promote the spirit of Frankie with these values:
respect
generosity
inclusivity
humbleness
joy
authenticity to the roots of the dance
Mark May 26th by Suiting up Swing Style – #TheLindyLook
On Frankie’s actual birthday, May 26th, celebrate lindy hop and the swing era by donning your favourite swing threads. Whether that means capturing the spirit of the Savoy Ballroom in its 1920-50s pomp or simply wearing your favorite event t-shirt, the choice is yours. Have your photo taken at work, in your office, at your desk, at a cafe, on the street or wherever you may go and use the hashtag #TheLindyLook to share it on social media. More details here.
Change your Profile Picture
If you were lucky enough to ever have your photo taken with Frankie, make it your profile photo on Facebook and on other social media platforms in May. Or, capture your love for lindy hop in your profile photo in another way with your favorite dancing photo, swing pose, or in your best swing outfit.
Connect on Social Media
Follow the Frankie Manning Foundation on Twitter and on Facebook. Be sure to check your Facebook settings to ensure that you aren’t missing important Frankie Manning Foundation updates. Click here to learn how to check your settings to ensure that you don’t miss our updates.
Be “In The Know”
Sign up for Solid Sender and check your Facebook settings to ensure that you don’t miss all of the exciting news and updates!
Donate
Consider donating proceeds from your Frankie Month activities to the Frankie Manning Foundation. The Frankie Manning Foundation preserves Frankie’s legacy and promotes lindy hop worldwide through events and celebrations, as well ambassador programs, scholarships and youth initiatives. The Frankie Manning Foundation relies on donations to achieve these missions. Events that make a donation to the Frankie Manning Foundation will receive special recognition on our website as all donations help to realize Frankie’s dreams in projects such as scholarships and youth programming. Contributing events will receive special recognition on our website.