FRANKIE MANNING - The Original Father Of Lindy Hop

Frankie Manning was born on May 26, 1914 in Jacksonville, Florida, but at the age of 3, he moved to New York where he grew up in Harlem. His mother, an avid dancer, once told him "You'll never be a dancer - you're too stiff." Frankie started dancing in his early teens at a Sunday afternoon dances at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem. As an older teenager, he danced at the Rennaissance Ballroom, and later danced at the Savoy Ballroom, which was known for its great dancers and bands. Frankie became known in the informal dance jams known as the "Cat's Corner" of the Savoy, and frequently won the Saturday night dance contests. He was a pioneer in the development of the Lindy Hop, and also known as the first practitioner of the Lindy Hop "air step" (aerials done with the music). In the 1930's and '40s, he toured with Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, the most elite competing and performing team in the Big Band era, as well as appearing in numerous movies. After World War II, Frankie formed his own dance troupe called the Congaroos. They toured the world opening for jazz greats such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway. When the Big Band era declined, Frankie left the public life and settled into a career with the US Postal Service.

In 1994, Frankie Manning's 80th birthday was celebrated in New York City with an big event called "Can't Top the Lindy Hop!". It was attended by Lindy Hoppers from around the world, and honored both the man and the dance. Frankie celebrated his 80th birthday with his "now famous" birthday dance with 80 women. Since that time, Frankie Manning's birthdays are now celebrated annually at various venues in the United States. The celebrations honor the man who was dancing the Lindy Hop long before many of us were even alive, and who will continue to inspire the Lindy Hoppers of today and tomorrow.