LA SWING & LINDY HOP! - HOW LINDY HOP GOT ITS NAME

LA SWING AND LINDY HOP - HOW LINDY HOP GOT ITS NAME!

HOW THE "LINDY HOP" GOT IT'S NAME!

The "Lindy" in Lindy Hop refers to Charles Lindbergh, the American aviator who became a national hero overnight (literally) when he became the first person to complete a nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic, going from New York to Paris in 1927. Since he was the very first person to "hop" the Atlantic, Charles was sometimes referred to as "Lucky Lindy." Of course, Lindbergh wasn't really much of a dancer. So how did the dance get named after him?

The dance got its name during a charity dance marathon in New York City in 1928, shortly after Charles Lindbergh's triumphant "hop" across the Atlantic. One of the dancers at the marathon was "Shorty" George Snowden, who is given credit for giving Lindy Hop its name. George Snowden was the top dancer in Harlem's Savoy Ballroom from its opening in 1927 into the early 30's. A reporter saw Snowden break away from his partner and improvise a few steps in a style that was popular in Harlem. The reporter asked "What's the name of that crazy new dance you're doing?" Snowden thought for a few seconds, then looked around and saw a newspaper with the headline "LINDY HOPS THE ATLANTIC." Snowden replied, "It's called the Lindy Hop". And the rest (as they say) is history!

A few more notes on "Shorty" George Snowden:

* Another early Lindy Hopper, the great Frankie Manning, is still dancing and teaching the Lindy Hop around the world. Frankie, who celebrated his 84th birthday this year, remembers his first idol and occasional competitor at the Savoy Ballroom this way: "Shorty was a great comic dancer who knew his art well, like Jack Benny on violin and Victor Borge on piano. He brought comical moves to Lindy Hop and intricacies of footwork."

* Count Basie, always attuned to the dancers, honored Shorty with the hit "Shorty George".

* "Shorty" George Snowden was not a member of Whitey's Lindyhoppers. He was Frankie Manning's idol, and Frankie credits him with originating the Lindy Hop dance, but not in the style we know it as today. (Due to Frankie's influence, and others) Shorty's dancers and Whitey's Lindyhoppers were friendly rivals.

* "Shorty" George Snowden was also responsible for naming another dance move, known these days as the "Boogie Back". Although barely five feet tall, Snowden made his height an asset rather than a liability. With comic genius, he parodied himself in his signature "Shorty George" step, in which his bent knees, swinging from side to side, exaggerated his closeness to the ground. Both the "Boogie Back" and the "Shorty George" steps are used today in dances such as the Shim Sham and Jitterbug Stroll.

For more information on "Shorty" George Snowden, Frankie Manning, and Lindy Hop, see Judy Pritchett's "Archives of Early Lindy Hop" website: http://www.savoystyle.com

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