Frankie Manning Links
Date: 22 April 2003, Mike Strong
Head for Google and enter a search for "Frankie Manning" (include
the quotes) and you get a large number of links. Here are a few of them, distilled
on this page. It doesn't take much of a look to realize that Frankie Manning's
influence and current travel takes him all over the world (really, ALL).
This weekend (weekend of April 25th 2003) we will be fortunate to have this
man in Kansas City at Louis Bar's studio, Louis and Company in Overland Park,
KS (913-385-0707 http://www.funwithstyle.com).
If you can get there, do. This one costs a little more than some of the other
workshops but this is one you really don't want to miss. Workshops happen
on a fairly regular basis, including workshops from the best dance instructors.
But ...
We don't often get the chance to take classes from walking, talking, dancing
history, in person. From one of the originators of swing. From someone who
straddles the eras from the 20's and to this new century and the enormous
societal changes which have taken place in that period of time.
The society that Frankie Manning found himself in so long ago (and for some,
not so long ago) seems in some ways almost as if it must have been another
planet in another system. And in some ways, not so different.
In any case please head for the workshop and in any case inform your attendance
with information from the link below. In particular, check out the interviews.
If you can get hold of Norma Miller's Book "Swingin' at the Savoy,
Memoirs of a Jazz Dancer" pick it up. It don't know whether it
is still in print. Mine is precious. Miller writes about the events, places
and people from her own perspective, a dancer. Not a sociologist or political
scientist so her observations mean more to those of us who dance.
Savoy Style - Archives
of Early Lindy Hop
Frankie
Manning's Swing Workshop Schedule
Biographies
at Savoy Style
Biography
of Frankie Manning
History
of Lindy
African
influences in the origin of swing dancing
Things to buy at
Savoy Style
Other Sites
Frankie's 85th Birthday
Site (May 26, 1999 at the Roseland Ballroom)
86th
Birthday bash in Tokyo for the Tokyo Swing Dance Society -
May 2000
Swing Jam instructor
bio for Frankie
Swing Patrol (Australia) Frankie
Manning Page (lots of articles and links, including interviews)
Swing Patrol Frankie Manning Timeline
Super Interviews - Ya Gotta Read!
City Arts uncut
Interview with Frankie Manning
Washington Post internet
forum interview with Frankie Manning (Jan. 1999)
PBS
jazz - Interview with both Frankie and Norma Miller
Norma wrote "Swingin' at the Savoy, Memoirs of a Jazz Dancer"
(This is a 24-page PDF document)
Melbourn3 PBS - Swing Patrol's site Radio
interview transcript
Short book excerpt
interview - From "Swing! The New Retro Renaissance"
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