Norma Miller: The Queen of Swing

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Lindy Hop is a passion of mine. If it is for you as well, I imagine you are an admirer of the great Norma Miller.

For those of you who know nothing of this phenomenal dancer, keep reading.

Norma Miller was born on December 2, 1919 and at the young age of 92 she is one of the most influential figures from the Harlem swing dance scene. She is known to many as "The Queen of Swing." Norma was hanging outside of Harlem's Savoy Ballroom at the age of 14. She caught the eye of Herbert "Whitey" White, leader of the lindy hop dance troupe Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

Below is a promo for the yet to be released DVD entitled The Queen of Swing.

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers called it quits in the early 40s. Miller moved to California to cread Norma Miller's Dance Company.  In the early 50s she, Billy Ricker and drummer Michael Silvers worked as the Del Rio Trio. Sammy Davis Jr. saw the group and hired away Mike Silvers to be his drummer. During the late 50s Miller formed the Norma Millers Jazz Men which included Billy Ricker.

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Miller also acted as a comedienne, when she worked in Las Vegas with Redd Foxx. She did so for over 10 years. In the70s she formed another Lindy Hop and jazz performance group, called The Savoy Swingers.

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In addition, Norma Miller has been featured dancing in several movies. Miller can bee seen in the 1937 Marx Brothers film, A Day at the Races  and my personal favorite, the 1941 Hellzapoppin'. Miller was also featured in Spike Lee's 1992 film Malcolm X.


The classic dance scene from Hellzapoppin' 1941
(Don't think I don't notice the racism that exists within this film. The black men and women featured in films of time were often cast as servants catering to white men and women. Bus boys, maids, etc.)

Classic dance sequence of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

Dancers (in order of appearance) William Downes and Micky Jones, Billy Ricker and Norma Miller, Al Minns and Willa Mae Ricker, Frankie Manning and Ann Johnson.

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Miller is the author of several books, including, Norma Miller's Swing Baby Swing, chronicles the evolution of the swing dance culture into the 21st century and her biography, Swingin' at the Savoy: A Memoir of a Jazz Dancer.

Today, Norma continues to work as a comedienne and choreographer in Las Vegas. 

 


To purchase Norma Miller's Stompin' at the Savoy click here.

Norma Miller Queen of Swing dvd has yet to be released. Learn about it here.

To learn more about Normal Miller visit her official facebook page here.

If you simply google "Norma Miller" you will find various websites that offer a bio.