Birthday parties for Frankie have been extensive celebrations, often spanning for 3 months or more in locations across the world.
PAST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Frankie 80 – Can’t Stop The Lindy Hop – A four-day celebration of Frankie Manning’s 80th birthday in May of 1994. Hundreds of Lindy Hop afficionados came to New York City from all across the world to celebrate a life dedicated to Lindy Hop. The remarkable dancing took place in performances, workshops and on the dance floor set a new standard of excellence for the Lindy Hop revival.
Frankie 85 – Frankie Manning’s 85th Birthday Tour – Frankie Manning’s 85th Birthday Tour consisted of 4 birthday parties in 4 different cities over 4 consecutive weekends. Frankie was at each one of them to eat his Birthday cake – Munich, New York City, San Francisco, and Catalina.
The New York Celebration took place at the Roseland Ballroom, where a pair of Frankie’s shoes were added to a lobby display case alongside those of other famous dancers, including, Fred Astaire, Savion Glover, and Gregory Hines. A representive from the ballroom also gave a public speech at the party in which she apologized on behalf of Roseland for refusing the admit Frankie and several other Savoy dancers in the 1930s. She said, “We know this is overdue… We wish we could rewrite the history of that, but we cannot. Were we to do that, you would have been on our floor in 1936.”
Frankie 86 (2000) – The Tokyo Swing Dance Society held a Frankie 86 Millenium Bash, endorsed by the American Embassy in Tokyo.
88th Celebrations in NYC – The following article is quite nice to explain the fantastic celebration – Frankie 88th Article.
89 & 90 (Frankie XC) Birthday Cruises – Frankie celebrated with over 300 dancers on a Carribean cruise ship.
Frankie 95 – A birthday celebration turned memorial and tribute, Frankie 95 took place in New York City and was one of the largest Lindy Hop events of all times.
Frankie 96 – Commemorative tributes around the world held the year after Frankie’s passing.
Frankie 97 – Global Shim Sham dedicated to Frankie from around the world.
Frankie 98 – Cities from across the world danced and dedicated the Big Apple the night of Frankie’s birthday.
Frankie 99 – Running up to the big Frankie 100 celebration in 2014, Frankie 99 events took place all around the world. Events were held in more than 134 locations. You can also see Frankie 99 choreography videos from around the world at FrankiesBirthday.com.
Frankie 100 – Frankie 100 took place in New York City May 22nd to 26th, 2014. The event was the largest swing dance event of modern day and brought together over 2000 dancers from 47 countries to honor Frankie Manning and to name his birthday, May 26th, as World Lindy Hop Day. The festival celebrated the roots and origins of Lindy Hop and Big Band Swing with historic events including the show, Swingin’ Frankie’s Way, at Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater.
For more information about past and upcoming birthdays, please visit Frankie100.com and FrankiesBirthday.com.
