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'''Whitey's Lindy Hoppers''' was a professional performing group of [[Savoy Ballroom]] [[swing (dance)|swing]] dancers, started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White. The group took on many different forms, with up to 12 different groups performing under this name or one of a number of different names used for the group over the years, including Whitey's Hopping Maniacs, Harlem Congeroo Dancers, and The Hot Chocolates. In addition to touring nationally and internationally, the group appeared in a number of feature films and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] productions, and counted [[Dorothy Dandridge]] and [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] among their celebrity regulars. By the summer of 1943, with most of its best male dancers having been drafted, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers had pretty much disbanded.
'''Whitey's Lindy Hoppers''' was a professional performing group of [[swing (dance)|swing]] dancers, started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White in the [[Savoy Ballroom]] and disbanded in 1942 after its male members were drafted into [[World War II]]. The group took on many different forms and had several different names, including Whitey's Hopping Maniacs, Harlem Congeroo Dancers, and The Hot Chocolates. In addition to touring nationally and internationally, the group appeared in several films and [[Broadway theatre]] productions. [[Dorothy Dandridge]] and [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] were among the group's celebrity regulars.
The Savoy Ballroom closed in 1958.


Of all the members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, [[Al Minns]], [[Leon James (dancer)|Leon James]], and [[Frankie Manning]] are among the most famous -- Minns and James in part for their role in the research of Jean and [[Marshall Stearns]]'s influential book ''Jazz Dance,'' Minns for his work with [[The Rhythm Hot Shots]] during the 1980s' swing revival, and Manning for his role, starting in 1986, in contributing to the swing and [[Lindy Hop]] revival after Minns died in 1985. Manning, Lennie Bluett, and [[Norma Miller]] were among the few members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers still alive during the 1990s and 2000s and were some of that era's most influential Lindy Hop performers and instructors.
Of all the members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, [[Al Minns]], [[Leon James (dancer)|Leon James]], [[Norma Miller]], and [[Frankie Manning]] are the most famous -- Minns and James in part for their role in the research of Jean and [[Marshall Stearns]]'s influential book ''Jazz Dance,'' Minns for his work with the [[Hot Shots (dance companies)|Hot Shots]] during the [[swing revival]] in the 1980s, Manning for his role in contributing to the [[swing revival]] after Minns died in 1985, and Miller for her presentations and instruction at [[Herrang Dance Camp]] up until her death in 2019.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/obituaries/norma-miller-dead.html | title=Norma Miller, Lindy-Hopping ‘Queen of Swing,’ Is Dead at 99 | first=Robert D. | last=McFadden | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>


== Members ==
==Members==
''(partial list)''
''(partial list)''


*Louise "Pal" Andrews
* Louise "Pal" Andrews
*Pettis Dotson "Snooky" Beasley<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop|last=Manning|first=Frankie|last2=Millman|first2=Cynthia|publisher=Temple University Press|year=2007|isbn=978-1-59213-563-9|location=Philadelphia PA|pages=73}}</ref>
* Pettis Dotson "Snooky" Beasley<ref name=amb>{{Cite book | title=Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop | last=Manning | first=Frankie | last2=Millman | first2=Cynthia | publisher=[[Temple University Press]] |year=2007 | isbn=978-1-59213-563-9 | location=[[Philadelphia]] | pages=73}}</ref>
*Lennie Bluett
* Lennie Bluett
*John "Tiny" Bunch
* John "Tiny" Bunch
*Eunice Callen
* Eunice Callen
*Wilda Crawford
* Wilda Crawford
*Mildred Cruse
* Mildred Cruse
*Joe "Big Stupe" Daniels
* Joe "Big Stupe" Daniels
*Joyce "Little Stupe" Daniels
* Joyce "Little Stupe" Daniels
*Eddie Davis
* Eddie Davis
*William Downes
* William Downes
*Elnora Dyson
* Elnora Dyson
*"Long-legged George" Greenidge
* "Long-legged George" Greenidge
*Connie Hill
* Connie Hill
*Leon James
* [[Leon James (dancer)|Leon James]]
*Ann Johnson
* Ann Johnson
*Dorothy "Dot" Johnson
* Dorothy "Dot" Johnson
*Frances "Mickey" Jones
* Frances "Mickey" Jones
*Thomas "Tops" Lee
* Thomas "Tops" Lee
*Maggie McMillan
* Maggie McMillan
*[[Frankie Manning]]
* [[Frankie Manning]]
*Lucille Middleton
* Lucille Middleton
*[[Norma Miller]]
* [[Norma Miller]]
*[[Al Minns]]
* [[Al Minns]]
*Mildred Pollard
* Mildred Pollard
*Billy Ricker
* Billy Ricker
*Willamae Ricker
* Willamae Ricker
*Eleanor "Stumpy" Watson
* Eleanor "Stumpy" Watson
*Naomi Waller
* Naomi Waller
*Esther Washington
* Esther Washington
*Freida Washington
* Freida Washington
*Billy Williams<ref name=":0" />
* Billy Williams<ref name=amb/>
*Jerome Williams
* Jerome Williams
*Russell Williams/Rasul Ali Ibm Aleem
* Russell Williams/Rasul Ali Ibm Aleem
*Jimmy Valentine
* Jimmy Valentine
*Ruthie Reingold
* Ruthie Reingold
*Harry Rosenberg
* Harry Rosenberg


== Filmography ==
==Filmography==
*''[[A Day at the Races (film)|A Day at the Races]]'', MGM, 1937 (with the [[Marx Brothers]])
*''[[A Day at the Races (film)|A Day at the Races]]'', [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], [[1937 in film|1937]] (with the [[Marx Brothers]])
*''[[Manhattan Merry-Go-Round]]'', Republic Pictures, [[1937 in film|1937]]
*''[[Manhattan Merry-Go-Round]]'', [[Republic Pictures]], [[1937 in film|1937]]
*''[[Radio City Revels]]'', RKO Radio Pictures, [[1938 in film|1938]]
*''[[Radio City Revels]]'', [[RKO Pictures]], [[1938 in film|1938]]
*''[[Keep Punching]]'', M.C. Pictures [[1937 in film|1939]]<ref name=":0" /> (aka ''Jittering Jitterbugs,'' featuring the ''[[Big Apple (dance)|''Big Apple'']]'')
*''Keep Punching'', M.C. Pictures, 1939<ref name=amb/> (aka ''Jittering Jitterbugs,'' featuring the ''[[Big Apple (dance)|Big Apple]]'')
*''[[Hellzapoppin' (film)|Hellzapoppin']], Universal Pictures,'' [[1941 in film|1941]]
*''[[Hellzapoppin' (film)|Hellzapoppin']], [[Universal Pictures]],'' [[1941 in film|1941]]
*''[[Hot Chocolates]]'' (''Cottontail''), RCM Productions, [[1941 in film|1941]] Soundie
*''[[Hot Chocolates]]'' (''Cottontail''), RCM Productions, [[1941 in film|1941]] [[Soundies]]
* ''The Outline of Jitterbug History'', RCM Productions, 3/23/42, Soundie <ref>The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America: a history and filmography of their "jukebox" musical films of the 1940s. Terenzio, MacGillivary, Okuda. 1954. page 72. {{ISBN|0-89950-578-3}} </ref>
* ''The Outline of Jitterbug History'', RCM Productions, 1942 [[Soundies]]<ref>The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America: a history and filmography of their "jukebox" musical films of the 1940s. Terenzio, MacGillivary, Okuda. 1954. page 72.{{ISBN|0-89950-578-3}} </ref>
* ''Sugar Hill Masquerade,'' Minoco Productions, 11/23/42 Soundie <ref>The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America: a history and filmography of their "jukebox" musical films of the 1940s. Terenzio, MacGillivary, Okuda. 1954. page 96. {{ISBN|0-89950-578-3}} </ref>
* ''Sugar Hill Masquerade,'' Minoco Productions, 1942 [[Soundies]]<ref>The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America: a history and filmography of their "jukebox" musical films of the 1940s. Terenzio, MacGillivary, Okuda. 1954. page 96.{{ISBN|0-89950-578-3}}</ref>
* ''Cabin in the Sky'', MGM, 1943
* ''Cabin in the Sky'', [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], 1943
* ''Killer Diller'', All-American News, 1948
* ''Killer Diller'', All-American News, 1948 - 4 members of the group


== Broadway features ==
==Broadway theatre==
*Hot Mikado (with [[Bill "Bojangles" Robinson]])
* Hot Mikado (with [[Bill Robinson]])
*Black Rhythm (1936)
* Black Rhythm (1936)
*[[Cotton Club]] Revue (with [[Cab Calloway]]) (1938)
* [[Cotton Club]] Revue (with [[Cab Calloway]]) (1938)


== See also ==
==See also==
* [[History of lindy hop]]
* [[History of Lindy Hop]]
* [[African American dance]]
* [[African-American dance]]
* [[Big Apple (dance)|Big Apple]]
* [[Harlem Renaissance]]
* [[Harlem Renaissance]]
* [[Al & Leon]]
* [[Al & Leon]]
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist|1}}


==External links==
==External links==

*[http://www.savoystyle.com/whiteys_lindy_hoppers.html Whitey's Lindy Hoppers at Savoystyle.com]
*[http://www.savoystyle.com/whiteys_lindy_hoppers.html Whitey's Lindy Hoppers at Savoystyle.com]
*[http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d2wlh2.htm Whitey's Lindy Hoppers at Street Swing]
*[http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d2wlh2.htm Whitey's Lindy Hoppers at Street Swing]

Revision as of 02:25, 7 May 2019

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was a professional performing group of swing dancers, started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White in the Savoy Ballroom and disbanded in 1942 after its male members were drafted into World War II. The group took on many different forms and had several different names, including Whitey's Hopping Maniacs, Harlem Congeroo Dancers, and The Hot Chocolates. In addition to touring nationally and internationally, the group appeared in several films and Broadway theatre productions. Dorothy Dandridge and Sammy Davis Jr. were among the group's celebrity regulars.

Of all the members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Al Minns, Leon James, Norma Miller, and Frankie Manning are the most famous -- Minns and James in part for their role in the research of Jean and Marshall Stearns's influential book Jazz Dance, Minns for his work with the Hot Shots during the swing revival in the 1980s, Manning for his role in contributing to the swing revival after Minns died in 1985, and Miller for her presentations and instruction at Herrang Dance Camp up until her death in 2019.[1]

Members

(partial list)

  • Louise "Pal" Andrews
  • Pettis Dotson "Snooky" Beasley[2]
  • Lennie Bluett
  • John "Tiny" Bunch
  • Eunice Callen
  • Wilda Crawford
  • Mildred Cruse
  • Joe "Big Stupe" Daniels
  • Joyce "Little Stupe" Daniels
  • Eddie Davis
  • William Downes
  • Elnora Dyson
  • "Long-legged George" Greenidge
  • Connie Hill
  • Leon James
  • Ann Johnson
  • Dorothy "Dot" Johnson
  • Frances "Mickey" Jones
  • Thomas "Tops" Lee
  • Maggie McMillan
  • Frankie Manning
  • Lucille Middleton
  • Norma Miller
  • Al Minns
  • Mildred Pollard
  • Billy Ricker
  • Willamae Ricker
  • Eleanor "Stumpy" Watson
  • Naomi Waller
  • Esther Washington
  • Freida Washington
  • Billy Williams[2]
  • Jerome Williams
  • Russell Williams/Rasul Ali Ibm Aleem
  • Jimmy Valentine
  • Ruthie Reingold
  • Harry Rosenberg

Filmography

Broadway theatre

See also

Further reading

  • Frankie Manning and Cynthia R. Millman, Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, Temple University Press, 2007, ISBN 1-59213-563-3.
  • Norma Miller and Evette Jensen, Swingin' at the Savoy: The Memoir of a Jazz Dancer, Temple University Press, 1996, ISBN 1-56639-494-5.
  • Norma Miller, Stompin' at the Savoy: the story of Norma Miller, Candlewich Press, 1996, ISBN 0-7636-2244-3.

References

  1. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (May 6, 2019). "Norma Miller, Lindy-Hopping 'Queen of Swing,' Is Dead at 99". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c Manning, Frankie; Millman, Cynthia (2007). Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-59213-563-9.
  3. ^ The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America: a history and filmography of their "jukebox" musical films of the 1940s. Terenzio, MacGillivary, Okuda. 1954. page 72.ISBN 0-89950-578-3
  4. ^ The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America: a history and filmography of their "jukebox" musical films of the 1940s. Terenzio, MacGillivary, Okuda. 1954. page 96.ISBN 0-89950-578-3

External links

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