Frankie Manning is American history in dance shoes.

Born in 1914, in Jacksonville, Florida, he moved with his mother to New York City when he was 3.

The son of an avid dancer, his mother once told him, "you'll never be a dancer - you're too stiff." No one who knows him today would agree: Frankie has inspired generation after generation of swing dancers!

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.

Frankie Manning was a part of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, the most elite competing and performing team in the Big Band era. He was their chief choreographer and created the first ensemble Lindy Hop routine, as well as the first known aerial dance step.

After a tour of duty in WWII, Frankie formed his own dance troupe, the Congaroos. They toured the world opening for jazz legends such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway.

Eventually, the Big Band era was eclipsed by Rock-n-Roll and Frankie left the public life and settled into a career with the US Postal Service. But, in the early 80's, Frankie was rediscovered and brought out of retirement to teach and choreograph; bringing Lindy to a whole new generation of swing dancers!

Today, Frankie travels most every weekend teaching his dance, the Lindy Hop, all over the world.

Frankie's awards include:
Tony Award for Choreography of Broadway show Black'n'Blue (1989)
National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Choreography (1994 & 1995)
National Heritage Fellowship (2000)

To read more about Frankie Manning and the history of swing dance go to http://www.savoystyle.com/frankie_manning.html