The Lindy Hop

An Overview of America’s National Folk Dance

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The Lindy Hop: America’s National Folk Dance

The Lindy Hop is part of the only dance form that truly originated in the United States: jazz dance. It grew out of the Depression Era as an outlet to the stresses of financial, political, and racial burdens.

Originally popular in the 1930s and 1940s, the Lindy Hop is still danced today and has become a phenomenon that has spread around the globe. The Swing Revival has taken the world by storm!

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The Lindy Hop: America’s National Folk Dance

Learn more about the dances that had an influence on the Lindy Hop. Discover how the Lindy Hop blossomed at the Savoy Ballroom. Meet the legendary dancers that made the Lindy Hop famous. Experience the Swing Revival. Find out where you can see examples of the Lindy Hop on video.

To get a full understanding of the Lindy Hop, be sure to visit every page. Now let’s dance!

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Early Influences

When Africans were brought to America in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries as slaves, they brought their cultural and dance traditions with them. Although dance movements varied depending on the slaves’ original home, the basic vocabulary of the dances was quite similar.

Some common characteristics include segmentation of the body, use of multiple meter, angularity in body positions, percussive performance, improvisation, call and response, competition, and endurance.

As dance in America evolved, these characteristics remained and can still be found in African American dances today. ‐

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Early Influences

Dancing was an effective way for the various African ethnicities to maintain their cultural identity, despite the trials and tribulations of slavery. In fact, the slaves often used the dances to covertly plan insurrections and to subtly criticize the white masters.

As the various ethnicities danced together, they combined characteristics of their native dances with mimicry of the European partnered dances. On Sundays, the slaves would dress in fine clothes and imitate the dances of their masters, who would watch in amusement. In this way, the Cakewalk was born. Slaves would gather and dance their imitations of the European dances, competing for the prize of a cake, donated by the mistress of the plantation.

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Early Influences

After the Civil War and emancipation of the slaves, early African American vernacular dances, such as ‐the Snake Hips, Texas Tommy, and Black Bottom, quickly spread across the South via traveling Negro minstrels.

White performers integrated the dances from the minstrels into their own shows, and soon many of the black dances caught on with the general white population and became dance crazes. The Charleston, which has become synonymous with the excess of the 1920s, spread in this way.

Elements of the Lindy Hop can be traced to these early African American roots, and the Lindy’s ‐development closely paralleled the evolution of jazz music from Dixieland and ragtime through swing.

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The Golden Age at the Savoy

As black Americans traveled north, the music and dance traditions that had developed across the South soon found their way to the ballrooms of New York City and Harlem. Two of the most famous ballrooms, Roseland Ballroom in New York City and the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, opened during the late 1920s.

Although both were known for their fantastic music and dancing, the Savoy was the center of dance development and the place to go. Roseland was a “whites only” venue, while the Savoy marketed its integration. White patrons, including many movie stars and other celebrities, would travel to Harlem specifically to visit the Savoy Ballroom and see the feats of athletic dancing that were developing there.

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The Golden Age at the Savoy

Dance competitions were quite popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In the spirit of the African traditions of competition and improvisation, the black dancers would take basic steps they knew from the Charleston, the Texas Tommy, and other popular dances and add their own flair through improvisation in order to stand out in the competition.

Sometime after Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight in 1927, “Shorty George” Snowden was executing some particularly flashy moves in one of these competitions and caught the attention of a reporter, who asked Shorty what dance he was doing. Supposedly, Snowden had seen a recent headline, like the one on the left, so he replied to the reporter, “I’m doing the Lindy Hop!” This is the first reported usage of the name of the dance.

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The Golden Age at the Savoy

The Savoy had two bands every night. When one band would take a break, the focus moved to the other end of the ballroom where the second band would start up.

The competition between the two bands at the Savoy to be the best band of the night spurred the development of the music. The lively musical environment encouraged the dancers to continue to innovate on the dance floor. As the dance developed, the dancers urged the musicians on to faster tempos and greater levels of ability.

Thus, jazz music and jazz dance were forever joined in their history and development.

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The Golden Age at the Savoy

As the music accelerated to faster tempos, the dancers found new ways to use their momentum more aerodynamically. Instead of dancing in the upright pose of ballroom dances, the upper body was bent at the waist, becoming more parallel to the floor. In this way, the dancers could better maintain their body weight at the faster speeds.

The breakaway soon developed out of this innovation. Instead of the leader always holding his partner with both arms, the leader releases the follow with his left hand, breaking away from her. Both dancers are free to improvise individual steps while staying within the same rhythm. Although their footwork is different, the two complement each other. The breakaway was a revolutionary movement in partnered dance and opened up the realm of possibilities.

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The Early Lindy HoppersIn the early days at the Savoy, the best dancers would try to out-dance each other in one corner of the ballroom, often referred to as “The Cat’s Corner.” Of all the dancers that entered that circle in the late 1920s and early 1930s, three couples stood above the rest: Shorty George Snowden and his partner Big Bea; George “Twistmouth” Ganaway & Edith Matthews; and Leroy “Stretch” Jones & Little Bea.

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The Early Lindy Hoppers

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Shorty George Snowden & Big BeaShorty was the top dancer in the Savoy Ballroom from its opening in 1927 into the early 30's, when he formed the first professional Lindy Hop troupe, the Shorty Snowden Dancers. They performed with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra at the Paradise Club downtown through most of the thirties. Shorty was barely five feet tall, while his partner Big Bea towered over him. They often ended their routines in their signature comic move in which she carried him off the dance floor on her back. Shorty also parodied himself in his signature step, "Shorty George,“ which involved forward motion with acutely bent knees swinging from side to side.

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The Early Lindy HoppersIn the early days at the Savoy, the best dancers would try to out-dance each other in one corner of the ballroom, often referred to as “The Cat’s Corner.” Of all the dancers that entered that circle in the late 1920s and early 1930s, three couples stood above the rest:

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George “Twistmouth” Ganaway & Edith MatthewsAn early rival of Shorty George, Twistmouth soon went on to become a professional solo dancer and did not frequent the Savoy during the 1930s. Twistmouth George and his partner Edith are credited with at least one lasting element of Lindy Hop: the twist or swivel styling step performed by the follow on the one-two count of the basic Lindy Hop swing out.

Leroy “Stretch” Jones & Little BeaKnown for his grace and flashy movements, Stretch was six feet tall while his partner Little Bea stood no taller than five feet. Around 1935, Stretch chose to leave the Savoy and join the Shorty Snowden Dancers. While no specific element of Lindy Hop has been attributed to Stretch Jones, his influence was undeniable. Frankie Manning, who played a major role in the later history of Lindy Hop, idolized Stretch and regarded him and his partner Little Bea as the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of Lindy Hop.

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Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers

As the caliber of dancers at the Savoy improved, Savoy manager Herbert “Whitey” White, the consummate entrepreneur, saw an opportunity. He hand selected the best ‐dancers and formed dance troupes that performed and competed throughout the country, internationally, and in the movies.

The troupes were known by various names, including Whyte’s Hopping Maniacs, Whitey’s Hopping Maniacs, Congaroo Dancers, and most famously Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.

Although the dancers who formed these troupes soon became regarded as professionals, they never forgot that the Savoy was their home. Between movies, special appearances, and international tours, they always came back to dance to the bands at the Savoy.

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Whitey’s Lindy HoppersWhitey’s Lindy Hoppers acquired jobs in many Hollywood films, including A Day at the Races (1937), Radio City Revels (1938), and Keep Punching (1939). Their dancing improved with each movie, and by the time they appeared in Hellzapoppin’ in 1941, no other dance troupe could compare to the insane speed and death defying acrobatics ‐performed by these legendary dancers.

t is unknown just how many dancers were a part of Whitey’s dance troupes over the years. However, those named below played important roles in the development of the Lindy Hop. Choose a name to learn more about each one.

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Frankie Manning

Al Minns & Leon James

Ann Johnson

Norma Miller

Willamae Ricker

Frieda Washington

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Frankie ManningKnown as the “Ambassador of Lindy Hop,” Frankie Manning is the most famous of all the original Lindy Hoppers. Frankie started dancing at the Savoy in 1933. He watched the expert dancers in the “Cat’s Corner,” memorizing all of their moves and practicing them each day before coming back to dance again at night.

An unwritten law of social dancing was that a dancer never copied another dancer’s moves. A dancer could imitate a move but always changed it slightly and made it his own. Manning made sure to follow this rule. By 1934, Whitey had asked Manning to join one of his dance troupes.

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Frankie ManningIn 1935, Frankie changed the face of the Lindy Hop forever. Until that time, Shorty Snowden was the reigning king of the ballroom’s weekly dance competitions. Frankie had seen Shorty signature move with Big Bea hoisting him up on her back and walking off the dance floor. Frankie wanted to improve upon this move. He and his partner Frieda Washington worked on a variation of the move and decided to unveil it during one of the Savoy’s competitions.

Shorty and Big Bea finished their spotlight dance, exiting with their signature move. Frankie and Frieda bolted onto the dance floor. During a break in the music, they linked arms like Shorty and Big Bea. But instead of walking off, Frankie flipped Frieda all the way over his head in a move they called “Over the Back,” she landed on the beat, and they continued to dance.

The crowd was stunned into utter silence while they processed the fact that they had just seen the first airstep ever performed. Seconds later, the ballroom erupted with cheers and applause. The aerial transformed the performance possibilities for Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.

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Frankie ManningAfter creating the first aerial, Frankie quickly became the unofficial choreographer for Whitey’s dance troupes. and continued to alter the Lindy Hop’s dance vocabulary. Up until this point, the couples in the dance troupes would never dance simultaneously. Instead, each couple would “spotlight.” Frankie created the synchronized dancing that is seen in Lindy Hop performances today, in particular the sequence of a swingout from closed position, followed by two swingouts and a Lindy circle.

Frankie entered the army, like many other young dancers, when America joined World War II. By the time he returned, Lindy Hop had already started to fade, as the music evolved from swing to rock ‘n’ roll and was not conducive to Lindy Hop. He “retired” from swing dancing and began a 30-year career with the U.S. Postal Service.

In the 1990s, the new wave of swing dancers brought Frankie out of his dance retirement. He began teaching and touring the world, spreading his love for the Lindy Hop and winning hearts with his signature smile.

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Frankie Manning

Sadly, in April 2009, Frankie passed from this life to the next, just a few weeks shy of his 95th birthday. Swing dancers around the world mourned the loss of the legend.

Plans were already well underway to celebrate Frankie’s 95th birthday in New York City. After much thought, the organizers decided to continue on with the Frankie 95 festival. It became a celebration of Frankie’s life and lasting legacy.

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Frankie will always be remembered for his infectious smile, his kind heart, and his enduring role in the development of the Lindy Hop.

Norma Miller

Norma Miller was first discovered as a gifted young Lindy Hopper by Twistmouth Ganaway when she was just 14 years old. Since she was too young to go into the Savoy Ballroom, she often danced outside on the sidewalk where the music could be heard quite well. Twistmouth asked her to compete in the weekly Savoy dance competition with him, and she wowed the crowd.

Not long after that, she was invited to join Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. Norma Miller was the youngest of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers when she joined the group. She was from the start a very creative dancer with her own often comic style and she possessed an outstanding sense of rhythm. A vivacious and outspoken person, she was always the life of the party.

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Norma MillerAfter Whitey's Lindy Hoppers disbanded in the early forties, she formed her own company in California, Norma Miller's Dance Company and had her own show at the legendary Club Alabam in the Watts section of L.A. In the early fifties she, Billy Ricker, and drummer Michael Silvers worked as the Del Rio Trio, until the night Sammy Davis Jr. saw the group and promptly hired away Mike Silvers to be his drummer.

In the later fifties she formed Norma Miller’s Jazz Men, which included fellow Lindy Hopper Billy Ricker and Frankie Manning's son, tap dancer Chazz Young.

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Norma MillerAs a comedienne, Norma worked in Las Vegas with Redd Foxx for over 10 years, including appearances in his TV show, “Sanford and Son,” where she is remembered as the airline stewardess who offered "Coffee, tea, or ME?“

In the seventies, she formed another Lindy Hop and jazz performance group, the Savoy Swingers. In addition to many standard entertainment venues, this group did a series of performances in the New York City public school system, introducing African-American dance history to the new generation.

Since the passing of Frankie Manning in April 2009, Norma is now the sole surviving member of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. She continues to perform and teach around the country.

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Al Minns & Leon JamesOne of the great dancers of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Al Minns was an energetic dancer with a wild, crazy-leg style. He appeared in the feature film Hellzapoppin' and in the popular soundie, Hot Chocolates. As the youngest dancer in this group until Norma Miller joined, he was particularly fit and flexible. On the initial backstep of his swingout, he formed a striking horizontal plane.

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Leon James had one of the greatest on-stage personalities in Lindy Hopping. With his constantly moving legs and hands and his flashing eyes, everyone would always notice him first. His styling was a favorite of the ladies at the Savoy, who still like to remember the way he moved his hips. He and partner Willamae Ricker were featured in the 1943 Life Magazine spread on Lindy Hop.

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Al Minns & Leon James

Because of poor eyesight, James was one of the few original Lindy Hoppers who was not drafted into the service in World War II. He remained active as a dancer and stage personality until his death in the 1970s.

James and Minns developed a novelty act in which they danced together and charmed audiences with their playfulness and ingenuity. They continued to perform Lindy Hop and jazz dance together throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Together, they served as informants to Marshall Stearns and his wife Jean for their classic book, Jazz Dance. They both feature prominently in Mura Dehn's The Spirit Moves, in solo and duet performance. They performed in nightclubs, worked the college campus circuit with Marshall Stearns, and also made a number of TV appearances.

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Examples on FilmDo you want to see the Lindy Hop in action? Pick one of the film clips below.

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A Day at the Races (1937)

Chool Song (1942)

Hellzapoppin’ (1941)

Groovie Movie (1944)

Buck Privates (1941)

All the Cats Join In (1946)

Don’t Knock the Rock (1956) ULHS Competition (2006)

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Lindy Hop: America’s National Folk Dance

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Early Influences

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The Golden Age at the Savoy

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Early Lindy Hoppers

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Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers

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Frankie Manning(4 pages)

Norma Miller(3 pages)

Al Minns & Leon James(2 pages)

Willamae Ricker(non-working)

Ann Johnson(non-working)

Frieda Washington(non-working)

The Swing Revival(non-working)

Examples on Film(External Links)

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