The Lindy Hopper known as Tiny Bunch was a huge King Kong of a man, over 300 pounds, but he was a graceful and agile dancer. His partner, Dot Johnson, was quite petite like King Kong movie co-star Fay Wray. This humorous couple was immortalized by the photographer Aaron Siskind in his photo, At the […]
Guest Post by Karen Campos McCormack This might not be a widely known fact among the Irish Lindy Hopping community, but Frankie Manning was in Dublin in 1937. He was performing with Whyte’s Hopping Maniacs, as Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers were billed on this European tour with the Cotton Club Revue. They landed in Dublin following […]
Read More… from Harlem on Parade: Whyte’s Hopping Maniacs in Dublin
The following guest blog posts was written by Brendan Argent, one of the Frankie Manning Ambassadors from South Africa. You can view the original post on his website here. Reflections on Mother City Hop 2016, South Africa’s inaugural swing festival Lindy hop has had a presence in Cape Town for nearly 5 years, since Jeannie Elliott moved […]
Read More… from Frankie Month Recap of Mother City Hop in South Africa
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. […]
Read More… from FMF Ambassador Kevin Harris Continues Grandfather’s Legacy
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 […]
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 […]
Read More… from Lindy Hop DJ Corner: You Should DJ Big Band Music
Interview with Valarie Salstrom of the Junior Jitterbugs and Get Hep Swing in Cleveland, OH by Mandi Gould. Val, can you speak about the original grant that gave you your start with these children’s programs? Originally, we started with a 4 year grant that was part of a mixed arts program. The theme of the […]
May 26th – Suit up Swing Style and work #TheLindyLook Hey, I’m Adam and I come from one of the fastest growing Lindy hop scenes in the UK and Ireland – Belfast. I only started dancing about two years ago but it has slowly taken over my life – going from attending classes once a […]
Read More… from FMF Volunteer Adam speaks about Suiting Up Swing Style
By Barbara A. Jones The Harlem SWOP – with The Harlem Swing Dance Society Culture …. Dance…. Jazz…. Lindy Hop…. SAVOY and Swing! These are the 6 main components The Harlem Swing Dance Society (THSDS) has been highlighting in the village of Harlem and elsewhere for the last 6 years. Slowly and steadily awakening and […]
Read More… from The Harlem Swing Dance Society – WZUP in Harlem
By Kim Kays My name is Kim Kays and I’m the Executive Director for a brand new Non-Profit in Chicago called Swing for Kids. I started swing dancing four years ago and vividly recall witnessing my first jam circle. The energy, passion, and love for the music was evident in every dancer that was brave […]
By Barbara A. Jones The Harlem Swing Dance Society(THSDS) is the sole organization in Harlem promoting and preserving Lindy Hop and various forms of swing dance culture where it all began. With this exciting challenge have come great discoveries and collaborations to showcase and bring attention to Harlem’s famed dance. We love working with community […]
Read More… from Swing Back: The Harlem SWOP with The Harlem Swing Dance Society
