GENERAL INFORMATION
Lindy hop legend Frankie Manning will be turning 95 years old in May! Will you be there?
From May 21st -May 25th, 2009 (Memorial Day Weekend) New York City, the birthplace of Lindy Hop and the Savoy Ballroom, will play host to a spectacular birthday celebration for one of America's most charming and inspirational cultural ambassadors. Lindy hoppers, jazz musicians, swing legends, tap dancers, friends and supporters from around the world will descend upon New York City for five days and nights of activity including: social dancing to over 12 bands, workshops taught by the best swing dancers in the world, the return of the Hellzapoppin' dance competition, tribute performances, panel discussions, video presentations, tours, and more!
Live music is one of the cornerstones for the weekend and we are thrilled to confirm that there will be live music at all five evening and late-night dances. The line up includes Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, the Boilermakers, Campus Five, a "Battle of the Bones" featuring Benny Powell, Art Baron, & Wycliffe Gordon, New York favorites the Blue Vipers, Cangelosi Cards, Paul Tillotson Trio and Ron Sunshine and Full Swing. The Saturday evening gala event will be a battle of the big bands, Savoy Style, pitting Frank Foster's Loud Minority Band, George Gee and His Make-Believe Ballroom Orchestra, and the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, all against one another in the beautiful 12,000 square foot Hammerstein Ballroom:
In addition to evening and late-night dancing, there will be plenty of daytime activities including panel discussions, special talks, walking tours, and workshops taught by internationally acclaimed instructors inclduing Sylvia Sykes, Frida Segerdahl, Syke Humphries, Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas, Steven Mitchell and Virginie Jensen, Sackarias Larsson, Max Pitruzzella and Annie Trudeau.
And there's more! This year will see the return of the Hellzapoppin' dance competition with the finals taking place during the Saturday night gala event. We are also busy putting together a suprise 1 hour long dance show for Frankie that we hope will leave him breathless, and will include performances by some of the best swing dance companies today including the Silver Shadows, Ninjammerz, and the Harlem Hotshots. Most of the weekends evening events will take place in the Hammerstein and Grand Ballrooms at New York's historic Manhattan Center.
The most important aspect of the event, however, is not the bands, the venues, the workshops or the competitions; the most important aspect of this birthday celebration is you, Frankie's living legacy. For his entire adult life Frankie Manning has joyously and tirelessly spread his love of Lindy Hop all over the world. For his 95th Birthday, let's thank him for all he has done and all he has given us by coming to New York and celebrating with him on this historic occassion.
For the last two decades, as the lindy hop resurgence has swept the world, Frankie has been tirelessly spreading his passion, love, and knowledge of lindy hop. Frankie's enthusiasm is contagious and he has become an inspiration to dancers wherever he travels (and boy has he traveled!) Frankie's birthday celebrations have become some of the most well attended and memorable lindy events. His 80th birthday party, "Can't Top the Lindy Hop" was a catalyst for a whole new generation of dancers and helped elevate the stature of lindy hop to a new level around the globe! Frankie's 85th was a memorable event at the Roseland, and his 90th was a lindy cruise. Now, at 94, he's still smiling and dancing away and continues to inspire dancers all over the world.
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