The Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, New York City was a popular dance venue in the 1920s through 1950s and played a pivotal role in the development of swing dancing and music. Simply put, it’s where Lindy Hop became famous. Located
Balboa – Fast and Fancy Footwork
Balboa can refer to a family of swing dances that developed in Southern California around the 1920s and 30s, as well as to a specific dance of that era that was the original Balboa (sometimes called Pure-Bal). Like its dance
Classic Film Clips: Hellzapoppin’
Hellzapoppin’ is the name of a 1941 film adaptation of an Oleson and Johnson Broadway musical of the same name. Among Lindy Hoppers, however, the term Hellzapoppin’ has a special meaning, referring to one of the final scenes of the
Lindy Hop Legend: Frankie Manning
If you started swing dancing recently, it’s very likely that you’ve heard at least one of your dance teachers gushing about some guy named Frankie. “Frankie this”, “Frankie that”, and “Frankie used to say…”. So who is this Frankie guy
Lindy Exchanges: Dance ’til You Drop
I just returned from a great dance weekend at the 2011 SLO Lindy Exchange in San Luis Obispo, but must admit that I was slightly sad that I didn’t see more San Francisco dancers down there this year. Perhaps it’s
A Mellow Bit of Rhythm: Andy Kirk and the Twelve Clouds of Joy
Andrew Dewey Kirk (May 28, 1898 in Newport, Kentucky – December 11, 1992 in New York City) was an American jazz saxophonist and tubist, who was best known as the bandleader of the Twelve Clouds of Joy, a band based in Kansas
Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Turner (born born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr., May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. A blues shouter is a term for a blues singer capable of singing and projecting their voice
Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
Last August, the 9:20 Special held a “Pro-Am” contest, in which “amateur” dancers paired with local teachers (the “pros”) and competed in a Strictly format. Nathan and I both participated; I ended up dancing in the first heat, while Nathan
Trumpet Man: Harry James
Harry James (born Henry Haag James, 1916-1983) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He was one of the most popular bandleaders of the first half of the 1940s and he continued to play with his orchestra until just before his
Tuxedo Junction: Erskine Hawkins
Erskine Hawkins was a jazz trumpeter and bandleader from Birmingham, Alabama. He earned the nickname as “the Twentieth Century’s Gabriel” through his flamboyant playing style and ability to hit high notes. As a boy, Hawkins first learned to play drums,