The King of Swing Dance
Wednesday, July 04 2007
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Frankie Manning - The King of Swing Dance
Frankie Manning performing a Lindy aerial
Frankie Manning is a living legend in dance. He helped invent one of the most exuberant and purely American art forms this country can lay claim to: the Lindy Hop.
Frankie began dancing when his mother brought him to social get-togethers in the 1920s. But Frankie really perfected his moves in Harlem dance halls and ballrooms in the 1930s and 1940s. His grace and flair took him from South America to Hollywood, as he helped make the Lindy the dance of its age.
While Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire are familiar names to most, Frankie Manning's is not. It was simply harder for black artists to reach the same pinnacle of fame back then. But Frankie's not bitter about it - nor is he hardened by the horrors he saw while serving in WWII, nor even by the racism of white soldiers with whom he served.
Frankie Manning
Frankie gravitates towards what gives him joy and pleasure: music and dance. Now 93 years old, Frankie still teaches and demonstrates the Lindy Hop all over the world.
Music heard in this story: Charleston Fever by Jimmy O'Bryant for the album Jimmy O'Bryant Vol. 1 (1924-1925); Stompin' at the Savoy; Shiny Stockings by Count Basie; Tuxedo Junction by Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra for the album More Friends - Small World Big Band, Vol. 2
- Learn more about Frankie Manning
- Learn about Frankie and the Lindy Hop
- Read about Frankie's book, "Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop" by Frankie Manning and Cynthia R. Millman
THE BUCKET BOYS
The Bucket Boys are from Chicago's South Side. They grew up with violence and chaos. But they've risen from being street performers, who would play anywhere for loose change and small bills, to jet-setting professionals. They were "discovered" in the late summer of 2002. Someone from the Chicago Bulls front office saw them while shopping and had them perform during a home game. They got a standing ovation, and have never looked back. In 2004, they performed at the NBA All-Star Game with the likes of OutKast, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce. They talk to Dick about the way drumming on plastic buckets has transformed their lives.
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