A Biography:

Frankie Manning Dancer and Choreographer

Frankie Manning was a boy who loved to dance and carried on dancing until he died.

In 1914, Frankie Manning was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where he lived a happy life with his mother. He loved dancing and a young boy he tried to copy his mother’s dance moves. She was his inspiration.

Frankie started dancing socially in his early teens in the Alhambra Ballroom in . When he became a young adult, he moved to the Renaissance Ballroom. Frankie was inspired by the first generation of Lindy Hoppers like George “Shorty” Snowden and Leroy “Stretch” Jones. Eventually, he graduated to the , the most important spot in social life at that time.

In 1935, Herbert White brought together a group of the top Savoy Ballroom dancers into a professional performance group, to be called “Whitey’s Dancer” and Manning was part of it. Frankie created his first ensemble of Lindy Hop routines, for which he became famous. This gave him an opportunity to expand upon his gift for transforming music and dance steps into fun, fast paced and acrobatic performance. When “Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers” were in their heyday, he was chief choreographer and Whitey was the business manager.

In 2009, on Manning’s birthday, in a Lindy Hop event was held to celebrate all his achievements “Can’t Stop Lindy Hop”. Lindy Hoppers from all around the world joined to dance and honour this amazing man. This event showed everyone that Manning and Lindy Hop were unflagging in vitality after all those year. Frankie Manning passed away after this event, he was 92 years old.

By Victoria