FREE FRANKIE MANNING: AMBASSADOR OF LINDY HOP PDF Frankie Manning,Cynthia R. Millman | 312 pages | 28 Sep 2008 | Temple University Press,U.S. | 9781592135646 | English | Philadelphia PA, United States Frankie Manning - Wikipedia N o one has contributed more to the Lindy Hop than Frankie Manning -- as a dancer, innovator and choreographer. For much of his lifetime he was an unofficial Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Once again, since the swing dance revival that started in the s, Frank Manning was a driving force worldwide with his teaching, choreography and performance. His own love of swing music and dancing was contagious as his dazzling smile. History African Roots Reading. F rankie Manning started dancing in his early teens at a Sunday afternoon dance at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem to the music of Vernon Andrade. From there he moved on to the Rennaissance Ballroomwhich had an early Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop dance for older teens with the live swing music of the Claude Hopkins Orchestra. Finally, Frankie "graduated" to the Savoy Ballroomwhich was known for its great dancers and bands. Competitive as well as gifted, Manning, became a star in the informal jams in the " Kat's Korner " of Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop Savoy, frequently won the Saturday night contests, and was invited to join the elite Clubwhose members could come to the Savoy Ballroom daytime hours to practise alongside the bands that were booked at the Savoy. F Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop Manning's dancing stood out, even among the greats of the Savoy Ballroom, for its unerring musicality. Fast on his feet and with a keen ear, Frankie gave physical expression to the beat, the feel and the excitement of the swing sound played by the great Big Bands. However, in order to beat these two great dancers in the Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop competitions held at the Savoy Ballroom, Frankie developed his own unique style. He is responsible for many innovations of Lindy Hop step and style, including dancing at a sharp angle to the ground like a track runner, instead of in the upright, stiff ballroom position of his predecesssors. In a famous competition --really, a showdown-- Frankie Manning and his partner Freda Washington outdanced Shorty and his partner Big Bea-- and astonished the crowd of with the first Lindy airstep ever done. In a famous competition This gave him an opportunity to expand upon his gift for transforming the swing music into exciting dance-movement patterns. When Whitey's Lindy Hoppers were in their heyday, Frankie was the chief choreographer, serving as what we today would call artistic director while Whitey was business manager. Swingin' at the Savoy Living Trad. Recent Stage Choreographies. Black'n'Blue - Broadway Show. American Ballroom Dance Theatre. Jiving Lindy Hoppers London. Major Awards. National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Choreography and National Heritage Fellowship Can't Top the Lindy Hop. Swingin' at the Savoy by Norma Miller. Ambassador Program - Frankie Manning Foundation Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Frankie Manning by Frankie Manning. Cynthia Millman. In the early days of swing dancing, Frankie Manning stood out for his moves and his innovative routines. This is his autobiography, recalling how his first years Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop dancing as a teenager at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom led to his becoming chief choreographer and a lead dancer for 'Whitey's Lindy Hoppers'. Get Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop Copy. Hardcoverpages. More Details Original Title. Other Editions 2. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Frankie Manningplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Jun 28, Titus Fortner rated it it was amazing Shelves: non-fiction. This book has been sitting on my shelf for over 7 years now, and I'm sad I didn't read it when he was still alive. I didn't spend as much time with Frankie as I could have. I skipped a number of his classes at the various dance events we were both at, and didn't make a point of going to the workshops that he had in the cities I lived in. At the time I didn't feel like what he taught was as relevant to the dancing I wanted to do bowing to your queen, and it was typically less dynamic than I want This book has been sitting on my shelf for over 7 years now, and I'm sad I didn't read it when he was still alive. At the time I didn't feel like what Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop taught was as relevant to the dancing I wanted to do bowing to your queen, and it was typically less dynamic than I wanted. I wish I'd gone out of my way to watch the videos of him dancing 20 years before I knew him to get a little more context on what he was teaching. My loss. I'm also a lot more introspective on the variations in the dance scene now that the styles have changed so much and I don't get from the dance the things I used to. I kind of wish I had the opportunity to have a long discussion with him about some of the things he said in his book, and how it relates to my experiences. I'm not sure she remembered or made any changes based on what I said, but the structure definitely is in line with what I suggested. Anyone who met Frankie can see his personality and spirit in the book. He tells the good and the bad the fights, the times he lied about things to get what he wanted, etcbut the joy he had for dancing and for connecting with and entertaining people was always present. I have a number of stories about my dancing getting corrected in front of everyone at various workshops mostly by Steven Mitchell. With Frankie, though, it was my Suzie-Q's. During a class he saw me, and pointed me out to everyone and said something like, "there aren't many things I consider wrong in lindy hop, but not keeping your toes closer to the floor when you pivot on your heel is one of them. I wish I'd done more of those, but then I think most of what he said there was covered in this book. A remarkable man with a remarkable story, and it was my privilege to meet him and learn from him. Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop 1 comment. Apr 06, Chris rated it liked it. Apparently one writer of the canonical text on jazz dance had a heart-attack before getting the real scoop on Lindy Hop, so this book is an important piece of revisionist history, putting Frankie Manning in his rightful place. Frankie is warm but reserved, and since he unfortunately has to worry about securing his legacy, the last two-thirds of this book are a bit dry. Frankie only briefly, and then apologetically, touches on racism, although he often runs up against Jim Crow; even in the North, Apparently one writer of the canonical text on jazz dance had a heart-attack before getting the real scoop on Lindy Hop, so this book is an Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop piece of revisionist history, putting Frankie Manning in his rightful place. Frankie only briefly, and then apologetically, touches on racism, although he often runs up against Jim Crow; even in the North, performing in places like the Cotton Club-- a Whites-only club in Harlem which often set its shows on a plantation-- smacks of minstrelsy. He's similarly silent, besides a few funny anecdotes, on his experience in the war. I would have been interested in more insight. However, he spins yarns about the early days which are transcendental. His talk about swing music and social dancing sounds like the elements of hip-hop-- an Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop form that informs your ethos. It's not escapism if you never leave, and why would you leave the Savoy? Apr 27, Schelmish Loki rated it really liked it Shelves: owned. A must-read for every Lindy Hopper. It's an incredibly uplifting account of the history of Lindy Hop, that just makes you want to get up and dance. The timeline is pretty clear and the origins of most popular dances and steps are explained. Frankie is incredibly humble and really seems to be focused on spreading the love, which really put a smile on my face. However, I do think that in his attempts to keep this book as positive as possible, Frankie is hesitant to speak up about racial issues. Of A must-read for every Lindy Hopper. Of course, on the other hand, this book was published several years ago, before the surge in discussion about this kind of thing. Still, it's good to bear this kind of thing in mind when reading this book. Apr 02, Odella Schattin rated it it was amazing. A wonderful man and inspiring depiction of the Swing Dance Era. Dec 04, Stefanos Kalyvas rated it really liked it.