Whitey's Lindy Hoppers
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.
Al Minns, Leon James, Frankie Manning, and Norma Miller are the most famous members of the group - 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 Herräng 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
- A Day at the Races, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937 (with the Marx Brothers)
- Manhattan Merry-Go-Round, Republic Pictures, 1937
- Radio City Revels, RKO Pictures, 1938
- Keep Punching, M.C. Pictures, 1939[2] (aka Jittering Jitterbugs, featuring the Big Apple)
- Hellzapoppin', Universal Pictures, 1941
- Hot Chocolates (Cottontail), RCM Productions, 1941 Soundies
- The Outline of Jitterbug History, RCM Productions, 1942 Soundies[3]
- Sugar Hill Masquerade, Minoco Productions, 1942 Soundies[4]
- Cabin in the Sky, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1943
- Killer Diller, All-American News, 1948 - 4 members of the group
Broadway theatre
- Hot Mikado (with Bill Robinson)
- Black Rhythm (1936)
- Cotton Club Revue (with Cab Calloway) (1938)
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
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (May 6, 2019). "Norma Miller, Lindy-Hopping 'Queen of Swing,' Is Dead at 99". The New York Times.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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