What is Lindy Hop? after plenty of dancing, research, and thought, the clearest thing I can give you is this: "Partnered Jazz Dance." Each of those words is important and loaded. It's primarily NOT about stylings, moves or patterns: all that is quite secondary. We're talking solo expressive movement totally tuned into the music in a partnered context. The perfect mating of African and European dance temperments, "classic" Lindy mirrors the amalgamation of those musical styles: swing music. Can you see why the African-American was destined to manifest this music and dance? 1/00
Savoy Ballroom:From the late '20s to the mid '40s, hundreds of large dance halls sprang up across the USA, hiring a similarly huge number of traveling big bands. But, the volcanic center of creative magic was Harlem's 4000-capacity Savoy Ballroom on Lenox Avenue and 140th Street. In the '90s, people often talk about so-called "Savoy Style."
Want to dance Savoy Lindy Hop correctly? Then, according to original Whitey's Lindy Hoppers superstars Leon James and Frank Manning, don't be real concerned about "correctness!" Dancers in the '90s tend to get hung up on copying external forms, thinking that this is "Savoy Style." On the contrary, constant personal creation of new moves, and even new dance styles, was the realcore of "Savoy Style." ("I never could copy the other guys anyway!"- Leon James). Consider this: does a particular posturing or styling define the joyous openess of "Savoy Style" ? Nah! Savoy Style is more accurately thought of as glorious, creative, free-swingin' freedom! Yeah!
A variety of Lindy-Jitterbug styles have survived into the '90s. Some refer to only one these as "Savoy Style," whereas in fact, several current major Jitterbug-Lindy styles originated in that famous dance hall. Let's also keep in mind, that as far as number of dance styles go, high-visibility is just the tip of the iceberg.
1.The most documented (movies) is the ultra-performance style of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, one of several names for the all-star team of manager/agent Herbert White's 12 Lindy dance troupes. Original Lindy Hopper Frank Manning is the living source of info we have on this style. Kept alive in the '90s by Sweden's Rhythm Hot Shots, among others. On the East Coast, at least, some of the well-known teachers of these patterns & styings include Bob Thomas & Idy Coddington, Ravitte Gall & Kerrin Flannigan, Tony & Aurelie Tye, Bill Borgida, Ken Wright & Naomi Nakada, and others!
2. Steven Mitchell (& Virginie), prime-mover in the Lindy Hop revival, is currently teaching a very free and open approach! He has gone right back to the essence of the dance as "partnered jazz-dance." Although at one time a key player in defining a particular style of Lindy as "it," he has seen into the very core of the dance: the music, your own body, and your partner are your only guides. All right!
3. Rob Van Haaren, who performs occaisionally with theRhythm Hot Shots, is both teacher and avid dance historian. He teaches based on the ability of the group, using a six-count basic. He teaches the Swing-Out as an advanced core move.
4. Dana Sornstein of "Work That Skirt" in the Bay area, teaches a style that does dispenses with the Swing Out altogether. It's a Jump-Swing style she calls "Street Swing." Lots of lifts and fun moves.
5. Hollywood choreographer Dean Collins'style, passed on to his most recent main students Sylvia Sykes and Jonathan Bixby (Santa Barbara, CA) VERY big right now in Washington DC.
6.The sociable style taught by Teddy Kern of NYC (as learned from an Afro-American Savoy regular) is suave and partner-friendly. Very groovy!
An early divergence in "Savoy Style" occurred when frisky Frank Manning debuted the first aerial move (a back-to-back flip) at a Savoy contest against teammate "Shorty" George Snowden From that ecstatic moment (and the roar of crowd approval), many teenagers began to explore acrobatic and dance possibilities. Others, including Shorty, dedicated themselves to floorwork. In the '90s, repeated surgeries have prompted some the most gifted professional aerialettes to give it up.
The far-flung influence of Whitey's Lindy Hoppersre-emerged in the mid '80s when team members Leon James and Al Minns helped fuel the Lindy revival in NYC. In 1999, team choreographer and luminary dancer Frank Manning, at the age of 84, maintains a busy (floor-blound!) international teaching schedule.
Dancers: Leon James and Willa Mae Ricker, 1943 LIFE)
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