Legendary Lindy Hoppers

There are some names in the Lindy Hop world that are synonymous with the dance itself. These are names that every dancer should know (Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Dawn Hampton, George Snowden just to name a few!), because these dancers shaped Lindy Hop as we know it today. Keep an eye on our blog for features on these incredible dancers, but for now, here is a great compilation of dancers throughout Lindy history.

* It is important to note that it is without question that the dancers in these clips were incredibly hard working, talented dancers. That being said, some of these movies and clips should be viewed with a critical eye, as they were created with many racists undertones. Uptown Swing addresses this issue very well in their 'What is Lindy Hop' section of their website, stating; "A lot of old jazz clips, especially the ones with black performers, are shot through with a generous dose of racism. Some show the dancers in a more respectful light than others, but opportunities for black artists to be on film were scarce back then and their integrity was almost always compromised to some degree by the forced adherence to racist tropes and stereotypes. Even in Hellzapoppin’, perhaps the greatest piece of Lindy Hop ever put on film, the premise of servants running from everywhere to the siren call of the conga drums and the amused white onlookers served to denigrate the abilities of these amazing dancers. And still the clip was cut out of the movie when it was shown in the south - even servants dancing that well couldn't be shown if they were black.

And so it is that many of these clips are a mixed blessing to be taken with a grain of salt, something beautiful with something ugly. The costumes or the gestures can be racist and unappealing while the ability of these performers is unquestionably great and rarely matched even to this day. In presenting these clips it is our hope that you can look beyond the negative elements to see those performers for their ability, their art, and their inspiration. Regardless of (indeed often despite) the context in which it was presented we think the quality of the dancing speaks for itself and demands to be respected for what it is - great art. "