|
A Florida Native, Frankie Manning was born in Jacksonville in 1914 and moved to Harlem
at the age of three. As a chief choreographer and member of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers (1936 -1941), he
traveled the world performing and appearing in movies, such as, Hellzapoppin’
and The Marx Brothers’ A Day at the Races. After WWII, Frankie Manning toured the U.S.
with his own group, The Congaroos, with the bands of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington,
and Count Basie. Frankie Manning’s swing legacy includes originating the first aerial step,
when he threw his partner in the air during a competition. He also did the first
Lindy Hop synchronized multiple partner routine. A renowned choreographer, Frankie Manning
was a winner of the Tony Award for Black & Blue. Currently Frankie Manning continues
to travel everywhere teaching from Sweden to Austin, TX and now to Orlando, FL.
Thanks to the excellent programming on Yehoodi Swing Radio you may listen to a recent interview with Frankie Manning. Check it out!
It'll give you a taste of what the swing experience is like with this amazing figure in dance and history.
Click here to listen: http://www.yehoodi.com/talk/.
|
Norma Miller has a career that spans over seven decades that includes such titles as author,
choreographer, dancer, comedienne and actress. She was discovered at the age of twelve by
the Savoy Ballroom's legendary dancer Twist Mouth George, and soon after become the
youngest of the performers in Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. Norma Miller has participated in many
creative endeavors including; her own traveling dance company,
Norma Millers’ Dance Company, 10 years of comedy alongside Red Foxx, various TV,
movie and choreography projects including the critically acclaimed Malcolm X by
Spike Lee, three books (Swingin’ on the Savoy, Stompin’ on the Savoy, Swing Baby Swing!)
with one on the way, song writing including "The Big Apple," which was premiered in 2005,
and traveling the world to teach swing dancing. In 2006, Norma Miller was featured
in her own documentary, Queen of Swing by John Biffar.
|
Chester Whitmore, Artistic Director & Choreographer of the Central Avenue Dance Ensemble, has been dancing since 1974.
He originally studied to be a cinematographer.
An encounter with famed tap dancer Fayard Nicholas changed his life. Eventually, Mr. Nicholas became his teacher and mentor.
Chester Whitmore has been jumping ever since. Lately, he has been traveling around the world on tour as a dancer, teacher, choreographer,
director and entertainer. He has performed with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of
Mercer Ellington, the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster, and the great Mile Davis. Chester Whitmore’s
choreography can be seen in music videos by Weird Al Yankovic, Teena Marie, Boys II Men, and Sugar Ray. The NAACP Image Awards (1989-1994),
Soul of American Music, and Stellar Awards (Gospel Music Awards) show Chester Whitmore’s versatility in choreographing for diverse groups,
such as the Nicholas Brothers with Savion Glover, M.C. Hammer, Levert, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Vickie Winans, and in dance tribute to Dick Clark
and The Artist (formerly known as Prince).
|
Event DJ
Mike and Michele Sucato founded South Florida Swing Dance Productions dance studio in 1999. They specialize in
teaching various forms of Swing, Hollywood style Lindy Hop, Savoy style Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, and Jitterbug. They
have privatley trained with various professional Lindy Hop instructors such as Kevin St. Laurent and Carla Heiney, and have
taken several workshops around the United States such as Camp Hollywood, Boston Tea Party, and Swing Dance USA. Along
with passing their love and passion for Lindy Hop into the South Florida community, and bringing to life a local Swing
community, they created Swingtastic, an amateur dance troupe that consists of young and old alike. Swingtastic has preformed
for Disney three times, for Tyndall Air Force Base, Traditions in Saint Lucie West, The Lupus foundation and countless events
within their local community. Every Saturday night they hold their own swing dance party, where everyone is welcome! They play
every genere of swing from Ella Fitzgerald,Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller to Cherry Poppin Daddies,
and Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy.
|
|
|
|
