Uptown Swing Celebrates Frankie Manning!

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Guest DJs: Dang Mai, Andrew Selzer, Paul Loschak

Fundraiser for the Beantown Scholarship Program

May is Frankie Month and Lindy Hoppers worldwide will be celebrating this very special man. There isn’t a better example than Frankie Manning to remind us of the joy and fun we have dancing! If you don’t know much about him, be sure to check out his bio.

Frankie was dancing back in the heyday of the Savoy Ballroom with bandleaders such as Chick Webb, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford and Lionel Hampton. Can you imagine dancing to their bands in person? We can’t make that happen, however, we’ll be honoring Frankie by dancing to his favorites with tunes provided by Guest DJs Dang Mai, Andrew Selzer and Paul Loschak!

Of course the night would not be complete without a Shim Sham, Frankie style! If you’ve been wanting to learn the Shim Sham or need to brush up on the steps, we’ll be doing it at the lesson before the dance.

Proceeds from this dance will be contributed to the Beantown Scholarship Program.

The Frankie Manning Foundation was established with Frankie’s passing to carry on his legacy. We’ve been honored to have Beantown Camp as part of the Ambassador Program, which provides scholarships to support the growth and development of new ambassadors of Lindy Hop. Recipients are primarily selected from African-American communities throughout the USA as well as areas around the world where Lindy Hop is in a very early stage of development.

The experience is often life-changing, and it is wonderful to watch them grow as individuals and dancers and begin to help teach future generations. Starting in 2014, Beantown began collecting funds to help bring past ambassadors back to camp as many do not have the means to do so on their own. There is no charge to attend camp, however funds are needed to cover housing, meals and travel.

Frankie ManningFrankie Manning leading the Shim Sham during a
Hop to the Beat Dance at the Cambridge Friends School in 2005.

Be sure to arrive early for a Shim Sham lesson! (Included with the dance.)

  • Swing lesson at 8:15pm
  • Shim Sham lesson at 8:45pm
  • Dance starts at 9:15pm
  • Guest DJs: Dang Mai, Andrew Selzer, Paul Loschak
  • Shim Sham, Frankie Style!
  • Group Photo
  • Admission $12 ($8 with Student ID)

Proceeds go to the Beantown Scholarship Program

Professor Cunningham and His Old School were originally scheduled to play for the May dance. Due to a conflict with their schedule, they have been rescheduled to July.

Advance Tickets