Savoy Ballroom

The Savoy Ballroom was a dance club in the Harlem borough of New York that existed from 1926 to 1958. Along with the Cotton Club, it was one of the most famous clubs in the swing era.

On March 12, 1926, the Savoy Ballroom opened on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. It was the first dance hall where blacks and whites could meet to dance without racial conflicts. The club was opened by the bands of Leon Abbey and Fletcher Henderson . Later the most famous swing bands of the time played there. Chick Webb and his band were known as the "King of Savoy". He hired Ella Fitzgerald and made her famous.

The Savoy had a significant influence on the development of jazz music . But it was also formative for new dance styles: the original swing dance Lindy Hop has its origins here.

At 596 Lenox Avenue only a plaque commemorates the legendary club.

Web links

• savoyballroom.com ( Memento from April 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English)

Coordinates: 40 ° 49 ′ 3.3 "  N , 73 ° 56 ′ 16.3"  W.