Search this site
Matching entries from B.L. Ochman's blog
Global Shim Sham for Frankie Manning - You Just Can't Stop the Lindy Hop
I'm in here somewhere. along with thousands of other people all over the world who learned the Shim Sham from the late King of Swing, Lindy Legend Frankie Manning. I guarantee you'll be sitting there with a big grin on your face before this video is over. "Dancing is falling in love" Frankie Manning...
Dancing at Frankie Manning's Funeral - God Bless You Frankie, RIP
Here's a scene from the swingingest funeral ever, as Frankie Manning was laid to rest, just a few weeks short of his 95th birthday. That's one of his favorite bands, The Harlem Renaissance Orchestra. More than 2000 swing dancers from all over the globe will come together in New York on Memorial Day weekend to honor Frankie. This video is the great Dawn Hampton and John Dokes Dancing for Frankie Manning at the funeral repast at the Harlem Stagehouse, May 2, 2009. Here's my video of Dawn Hampton at her 80th birthday partyparty last June, and in her days as a jazz singer. I am so lucky to have had Frankie Manning in my life. Rest in peace you beautiful man, and teach those angels how to swing. Read George Gee's tribute to Frankie....
Frankie Manning 1914-2009 - "Dancing is Falling in Love"
I've been lucky enough to know, dance, and take class with Frankie Manning for more than 10 years. He passed away peacefully this morning after a brief illness, just short of his 95th birthday. Here are other posts I've written about Frankie over the years. At the request of Frankie long-time girlfriend, Judy Pritchett, dancers are meeting tonight at Swing 46 to dance to Harlem Renaissance Orchestra - one of Frankie's favorite bands. Gotta go get my dancing shoes. Love you Frankie!...
Lindy Hop Class with Frankie Manning
Click to Play Frankie Manning's been Lindy Hopping since the 1930s. He choreographed the all-time greatest Lindy routine for the 1941 movie Hellzapoppin. And he taught a class in New York City tonight. Frankie turned 93 last May. Bonus Links: Frankie Leads the Shim Sham 2002 Hellzappoppin - 1941 (that's Frankie in the overalls) The greatest Lindy Hop routine ever, choreographed by Frankie. Like Frankie says: "You get to fall in love for two and a half minutes of music and if that don't keep you young, I don't know what do....Life is wonderful" Rock on, Frankie!...
Help Make We Made Frankie Manning's Book an Amazon Best Seller on His 93rd Birthday, Saturday, May 26th
Saturday, May 26th is the amazing Frankie Manning's 93rd birthday. He's one of the originators of the Lindy Hop, and he's still dancing, performing, and making people happy all over the world. That's also the day I hope you'll join a world-wide campaign to make his autobiography - Frankie Mannie: Ambassador of Lindy Hop a best-seller on Amazon. One of the great joys of my life is that I occasionally get to take a Savoy Lindy Hop class from Frankie Manning, who is to the Lindy as Fred Astaire is to soft shoe. Having had the pleasure of dancing with the man who was one of the inventors of the Linday at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the Jazz Age of the 20s and 30s, I know his grace, his charm, his remarkable sense of humor, and the joy he brings to everyone he meets. I was lucky enough to be one of the women he danced with on his 90th and 91st birthdays. He danced with one woman for each year. And he wasn't even tired. Frankie is celebrating in France, and he's still traveling, teaching, and dancing all over the world. It would be great to honor...
Frankie Manning: "Dancing is Falling in Love"
Richard Schlesinger of CBS News interviews Frankie Manning and makes him show him his driver's license to prove he's really 92. Those are my friends and fellow students taking class with Frankie, as I'm often lucky enough to do when he's in New York. The rest of the time he's traveling all over the world dancing, teaching the Savoy Lindy Hop, which he helped to invent back in the 1920s, and performing with his 77 year-old son. "If I wasn't dancing I don't think I would have reached this age. You get to dance with a beautiful young lady...You get to fall in love for two and a half minutes of music and if that don't keep you young, I don't know what do....Life is wonderful" Rock on Frankie, you beautiful man! Can't wait to take class with you next week....
How to Integrate Video Into a Moveable Type Blog
SixApart hasn't kept Moveable Type up to speed, to say the least. So you can't use YouTube and other video sites to integrate video into your MoveableType blog. But you can use Blip TV, which has an easy way to cross post as I did here and here....
Frankie Manning Dance Class
Click to Play I was pretty blue on 9/11, and I stayed quiet and reflective all day. And that night, I did something really upbeat and life affirming -- I took a swing dance lesson from Frankie Manning, who is 92. Yes, that's right. He's 92 :>)He was one of the originators of the Lindy Hop back in the 1920s and, after two hip relacements, he's still dancing. He teaches all over the world, travels something like 250 days a year. And he's sharp, and fit, as tacks.If he doesn't make you feel good, well, honey, nothing will. ...
Happy 92nd Birthday to Frankie Manning, King of Swing Dance
Posted by B.L. Ochman That's Frankie Manning, dancing with Angie Whitworth at a class he gave at Sandra Cameron Studio tonight after his 92nd birthday party. Frankie is one of the originators of the Lindy Hop, and I have had the privilige to know him and learn to dance from him for the past 10 years. I was one of the 86 women he danced with on his 86th birthday, and one of the 90 women he danced with on his 90th. If you want to know what life can be like when you're old, if you're lucky, talented, and determined, take a look at Frankie Manning. He told me that he never would have lived this long if it hadn't been for dancing. The world would be a much better place with a lot more Frankie Mannings out here dancing. Here's wishing you many more, you wonderful man! That's me in class tonight. :>)...
Frankie Manning, 91, Celebrates Birthplace of the Lindy Hop With 400 Dancers
That's Frankie Manning dancing at his 91st birthday party last spring with NY Swing Dance Society founder Margaret Batiuchok. Last night, at a black-tie event, he celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Savoy Ballroom with about 400 swing dancers from all over the world. It wasn't called the Lindy Hop when Manning started dancing. It was just called dancing, he likes to say ."If I wasn't dancing I probably wouldn't be here right now," he said. "Dancing is my mistress." Manning still teaches dance and I'm lucky enough to be one of his students. IAs I celebrate my birthday today, I can only say, Frankie, you're an inspiration....
Fayard Nicholas Fund Raiser Brings Out Tap Dance Royalty
The Nicholas Brothers, the remarkablly atheletic, endlessly inventive tap dancers Fayard and Harold Nicholas, were arguably the best American dancers of any genre in any era. As Maurice Hines pointed out yesterday, Fred Astaire never danced with them on film because "he wasn't crazy" and he knew there was no way he could keep up with them. Hines was among the tap royalty who turned out at a Manhattan benefit for Fayard Nicholas, who recently suffered a stroke. Hines brought joy to the packed house when he told us that Nicholas is back at home, recuperating, even though it seemed like only a matter of time a week ago. Highlights of the star-studded program: There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Harold "Stumpy" Cromer talked about the staggering restrictions placed on Black performers in Hollywood's early days, including how Bill "Bojangles" Robinson got about $4500 for teaching Shirley Temple to tap dance, which earned her about $22 million. "We won in the end," he joked, "cause her last name is Black now." Dance, Mr. Bojangles, Please Then he sang the most beautiful rendition of "Mr. Bojangles" I have ever heard, while tap dancing and playing harmonica. It's one...
Wow! Frankie Manning's 91st Birthday Party Was a Swinging Time
That's Frankie Manning, king of swing, dancing with NY Swing Dance Society founder Margaret Batiuchok at his 91st birthday party tonight at Sandra Cameron Studio. A super surprise: George Gee showed up with members of his band. I've put some more pictures on flickr...
Happy 91st Birthday to the Great Frankie Manning, The King of Swing
I'm going to Frankie Manning's 91st birthday party tonight and then I am going to take a class with the King of Swing. He's still teaching and performing and still one of the sexiest men on the planet. He generally celebrates his birthdays by dancing with as many women as his age. I was one of 90 women he danced with on his 90th and will be tickled pink to be one of 91 he does the Lindy Hop with this year. You are the coolest man on earth Frankie! One of the original Whitey's Lindy Hoppers from the Savoy Ballroom, Manning stopped dancing for 30 years when swing fell to rock and roll and disco. But Sandra Cameron and friends brought him out of retirement when they begged him to teach them how to dance the Savoy style. He's been teaching and performing ever since. Taking a class with him is like dancing with Fred Astaire. I count myself incredibly lucky to be able to learn from him....
Feed Subscription
If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to a feed of all future entries matching 'Frankie Manning'. [What is this?]
