World Lindy Hop Day
Next: May 26, 2027
Swing out, it's Frankie's birthday.
The story
Where it comes from
Frankie Manning was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on 26 May 1914 and grew up in Harlem, where he learned the Lindy hop in the ballrooms and became a star of the Savoy. As chief choreographer of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers he created the first Lindy air step in 1935 and the first synchronised ensemble routines, taking the dance from ballroom to stage and screen. In May 2014 more than 2,000 dancers from 47 countries gathered in New York for Frankie 100 and named his birthday World Lindy Hop Day.
How it's celebrated
Swing dancers around the world throw birthday parties and social dances, play the big-band music of the Savoy, teach Frankie's favourite steps and share old film clips. The Frankie Manning Foundation asks dancers to do it all with respect, generosity, inclusivity, humbleness and joy, and to stay true to the roots of the dance. A beginners' class is a good place to start.
Did you know
- While dancing in London in 1937, Manning gave a command performance for King George VI.
- After a long break from dancing, he won a Tony Award for choreography in 1989 for the Broadway show Black and Blue.
- In 2000 the Tokyo Swing Dance Society held a Frankie 86 Millennium Bash for his 86th birthday.
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