dancing at FNW tonight in Palo Alto!

[composerjk]

I'll be dancing at FNW in Palo Alto tonight! Richard Powers and Angela Amarillas will be teaching Frankie Manning's Shim Sham at 7pm. Frankie, one of the original lindy hop dancers from the 1930s, passed away this week, a month shy of his 95th birthday.

decadance will be performing at the first break (~9:45pm

Comments

[lotsandnothing]

Thank you for the sad news of Frankie Manning's passing. But I am glad to have learned about him. What a life he led!

It's funny, but some weeks ago I watched the lindy hop scene from the Marx Brothers film "A Day At The Races". According to the Frankie Manning website, he was in the troupe in that scene, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, who were not given credit for their appearance. I will look for him in the film later today.

Also, there is an obscure coincidence of my own history and the end of Mr. Manning's. From his website, about his funeral:
Repast will follow interment:
Time: 3:30 - 6:30pm
Location:
The Harlem Stage Gatehouse
150 Convent Avenue (at 135th Street)
New York, New York 10031

I went to high school there, at 443-465 West 135th Street at Convent Ave.

Have fun dancing the shim sham tonight, in memory of Frankie Manning!

[composerjk]

I should have posted something here on the day he passed. I did so on facebook.

Here's an excerpt of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in Hellzapoppin' from 1941 (the 2nd one has the full music intro):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTg5V2oA_hY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0BHxhUnokU

Frankie demoing his version of the Shim Sham:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjfM4Wrj9UI

local dance venue Swing Central doing the Shim Sham for Frankie's 95th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANtQxgS1w_c&hd=1

The class was good last night.

[lotsandnothing]

Thanks for the links to the videos. And yes, I meant "Hope you had fun last night."

[composerjk]

One more video (just a short tribute one):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbcJyOsM4MI