Frankie manning autobiography

This is his autobiography, recalling how his first years of dancing as a teenager at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom led to his becoming chief choreographer and a lead.
In this fascinating autobiography, the choreographer and Tony Award winner (Black and Blue) Frankie Manning recalls how his first years of dancing as a teenager.
In the early days of swing dancing, Frankie Manning stood out for his moves and his innovative routines; he created the "air step" in the Lindy hop, a dance that took the U.S. and then the world by storm.

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Frankie Manning:
Ambassador of Lindy Hop

by Frankie Manning and Cynthia R. Millman

Temple University Press, 2007

The autobiography of a legendary swing dancer
— who is still swinging!

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"A poet of the dance floor. This book is a must read for anyone who loves the dance, amateur or professional. What a life he has lived, and thank God he remembers it all!"
— Bette Midler, student and fan

"On behalf of all of the Hoofer's, we thank you and salute you for every moment of truth, love and dedication translated to us all through your art form, your dance. Thank you Frankie Manning. I Love You!"
— Savion Glover, tap dancer and Tony Award-winning choreographer

Book Description

In the early days of swing dancing, Frankie Manning stood out for his moves and his innovative routines; he created the "air step" in the Lindy hop, a dance that took the U.S. and then the world by storm. In this fascinating autobiography, the choreographer and Tony Award winner (Black and Blue) Fra

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Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop

March 26, 2024

Inspiring, beautiful, informative and full of swing. Incredibly well-researched and assembled.

Considering that it was published in 2007 I understand the lightness over the racism experienced, but I do believe that the book does justice (and is sometimes quite generous) to the politics surrounding Lindy hop.

Millman’s contributions are definitely exceptional and overall the book feels like a movie. A fast-paced, choreographed, beautiful movie with an excellent sound track.

— I’ve seen criticism on the book regarding Frankie not calling out racism more than he did, and while I understand and agree I think it’s A LOT of pressure to put on someone who was publishing/ writing this in the early 2000s while being in their 90s, in an atmosphere that’s definitely not as “welcoming” as today’s when it comes to calling white people out.

With Lindy hop being much more mainstream in white-dominated communities right now (i.e the Lindy hop community in Sweden and the rest of Europe), I think it would have been very hard to include

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Frankie Manning

American dancer and choreographer (1914–2009)

Frankie Manning
Manning in 2008
Born	Frank Manning (1914-05-26)May 26, 1914 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died	April 27, 2009(2009-04-27) (aged 94) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Other names	"Muscle head" Manning
Occupation(s)	Choreographer, dancer
Children	Chazz Young Marion Manning Frankie Manning Jr.
Awards	Tony Award for Best Choreography 1989 Black and Blue
Website	frankiemanning.com

Frank Manning (May 26, 1914 – April 27, 2009)^[1] was an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Manning is considered one of the founders of Lindy Hop, an energetic form of the jazz dance style known as swing.

Biography

Manning was born in 1914 in Jacksonville, Florida. After his parents separated when he was three years old, he moved to Harlem with his mother, who was a dancer.