Ambassador scholarships are awarded to dancers who will carry on Frankie Manning’s mission of “spreading the joy of lindy hop.” Our hope is that they will bring new populations into our community from all around the world. This is now the fifth year of our Ambassador scholarships.
AND THE SCHOLARSHIPS GO TO…
Adam Milligan, Belfast, Northern Ireland Joshua McLean, Houston Texas Muriel and Brendan Argent, Cape Town, South Africa Rafal Pustelny, New York City and Poland Tamisha Anthony, New York City
In addition to the Herrang Dance Camp, we’re planning to partner with the following events in 2015:
Camp Jitterbug
Beantown
The International Lindy Hop Championships
These are all wonderful events and we thank them for their partnership in helping to make these scholarships to happen.
Here’s recent news from some of our past Ambassadors…
Black History Month
Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month, is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, and it is celebrated in the United Kingdom in the month of October.
As lindy hoppers, this is not only an opportunity to recognize the important contribution made to our lives and our culture by black dancers and musicians and people of African descent. This is also a chance to emphasize the benefits of coming together as brothers and sisters regardless of race, religion or national origin. May everywhere that lindy hop is danced, on the dance floors and off, find that people of diverse backgrounds will treat each other with respect and warmth.
Ambassador Updates
Breai Mason-Campbell (Herrang Ambassador, 2014)
Breai 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! Please watch and share this fabulous video here.
Samuel Coleman (Herrang Ambassador , 2011)
Samuel is an impeccably dressed New Yorker with a vintage fashion palate – 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. Read more about what Samuel is up to here.
Itay Skutelsky (Herrang Ambassador, 2013)
In a few short years, Itay Skutelsky (Herrang Ambassador, 2013) has been instrumental in building a thriving lindy hop scene in Jerusalem. Read more about what Itay is up to here.
Nando Valoi (Herrang Ambassador, 2012)
When Nando 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 workshops in Maputo and then Stockholm. Read more about what Nando is up to here.
Traci Bartlow (Herrang 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. This is a piece was written, directed and choreographed by Ambassador Traci Bartlow (Herrang 2011) for Central Parks Summerstage Kids. Read more about what Traci is up to here.
Jamin Jackson (Herrang Ambassador, 2011)
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. Read more about what Jamin is up to here.
Featured Video
Have you seen this video of Frankie Manning dancing with Normal Miller in 1996? This video a real treat!
In addition to Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop by Frankie Manning and Cynthia R. Millman (Temple University Press, 2007), we highly recommend that you make Swingin’ at the Savoy by Norma Miller (Temple University Press, 2001) a part of your home library.
Featured Song
For Dancers Only – This song, performed by the Jimmie Lunceford big band and written by Sy Oliver, is part of the orchestra’s consistently swinging song collection. The tight ensembles and colorful shows of the Jimmie Lunceford big band made them a major attraction during the Swing era. The big band rivaled on record, and often exceeded in person, the orchestras of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Count Basie.
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