I've been swing dancing the age of 17 (or was it 16?) and was saddened when I heard that due to complications with pneumonia, Frankie Manning "the ambassador of lindy hop" had passed at on April 26th at the age of 94. But what a good run uh?
For those of you who don't know who this marvelous man was, I'll spit out a brief run down. Frankie Manning was a pioneer in the Lindy Hop movement of the 1930s. He created the Lindy Air Step and became a lead choreographer for Herbert White's "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers". He toured with the troupe from 1936-1943 and worked with great musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway. He appeared in films and eventually formed his own troupe, "The Congaroos." In 2007 his autobiography "Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop" was published.
Frankie never stopped dancing. He continued to teach and perform the art that he loved so much.
Frankie's Birthday Festival took place in New York City on May 21st to the 25th. Over 1000 dancers, multiple swing bands, teachers and competitors joined to celebrate the life of this man. I am sooooooo jealous as I wish I could have been there!
Wanna see some of the excitement? Here's a sample!
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