The universal language of the Lindy Hop (aka swing dancing or jitterbug) features creative and exhilarating movements that allow partners to connect in a way that uplifts the spirit, promotes human connection, and develops generosity. It allows dancers to meet in a positive environment that supports the building of bridges on personal, community, and global levels.
Originating in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, the Lindy hop is done to the big band jazz of the era. After a decline in popularity in the 1950s, this form of swing music is back and infecting more and more followers with its undeniable vitality.
Grounded in unity and collaboration, World Lindy Hop Day, celebrated every May 26th, encourages people from all different backgrounds to enjoy and share the many benefits of this joyous and enduring dance.
Frankie Manning
He was one of the prime creators of the Lindy hop, and the most influential person in swing dance history. His birthday (May 26th, 1914) has inspired World Lindy Hop Day.
Frankie moved to Harlem as a child, where he first saw dancing at neighborhood rent parties and ballrooms. By the early 1930s, Frankie was a regular at the legendary Savoy Ballroom. While part of the Savoy’s inner circle of elite dancers, Frankie introduced many innovations into the Lindy hop, including the air step and synchronized ensemble routines. His ideas, done to this day, revolutionized the Lindy, catapulting it from ballroom to stage and screen. As chief choreographer and lead dancer for the sensational Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, Frankie created and danced in routines for numerous films, including his masterpiece, Hellzapoppin’ (1941), and performed internationally in theaters and nightclubs with Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, and many other jazz greats of the Swing Era.