Frankie Manning was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He moved with his mother to Harlem, New York when he was just 3 years old. When he was a a child he was filled with dancing and whenever there was a party, either friends or family it didn't matter as long as he got to dance. When Frankie Manning was a teenager he discovered the dance called the "Lindy Hop". In 1933, he had entered a dance competition at the Savory Ballroom. This is where Frankie Manning started to get well known. In the year 1935 Frankie Manning and his then partner Friar- Washington had created a new move called the "Over the Back". Frankie Manning was one of the best dancer and made some new type of swing dances. Frankie Manning was the ambassador of Lindy Hop. He is credited for creating the swing dance called the "Squat Charleston". Frankie Manning is known as the Sultan of Swing. For he danced many swings and was very prominent about it. Frankie Manning had choreography seven films and also opened an major musical acts like Duke of Ellington, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, and Nat King Cole. He won an Tony Award for his choreography for " Black and Blue" in 1989. Frankie Manning had a nickname which I believed was " MuscleHead". But unfortunately like many great dancers, Frankie Manning died on April 27, 2009. He died in New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital. He died by pneumonia and he was 94 years old when he died. It is a tragic that he is no longer here on earth, but what we do know is that he may be gone from this world, but he will not be forgotten though.
Another well known swing dancer was Dean Collins. Dean Collins was born in Columbus, Ohio on May 29, 1917. He grew up in New Jersey and at 13 years old he was taught by his two older sisters swing dancing. Later on he was dancing at every spot in Atlanta City to the Savory Ballroom, Halem, New York. When Dean Collins was 28 he had received an award called the " Dancer of the Year" from the news article called New Yorker magazine. Dean then soon left New York and went to New Orleans. He went to New Orleans so that he can understand more of the roots of Swing Dancing, after that he soon went to Los Angeles. As Dean Collins got to Los Angeles, California, Dean had got the upper hand. Since California didn't really have that savory swing dance, the main swing dances in California was the " Camel Hop" and the " Balboa". Dean Collins had said and quoted " Young people in those days took their dancing very seriously. They spent a lot of time with their partner, learned their steps, invented new ones. It was more than a hobby: it was real Passion,", Dean joined a dance competition in California and of course he got to win the competition. When he danced in California he was starting to get well known. Dean Collins created his own version of the Shim Sham. A fact to know Dean Collins was not his actual name. His real name is Sol Ruddosky, and the reason he got the name was that he had a Jewish name and was afraid of would hinder his career, and he found a wallet that the owner of the wallet was name was " Dean Collins". Unfortunately Dean Collins has also got to rest in peacefully. Dean Collins died on June 1, 1984. He died at the age 64 years old. He may be gone but he will not be forgotten though,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34eD21QzUw
Another well known swing dancer was Dean Collins. Dean Collins was born in Columbus, Ohio on May 29, 1917. He grew up in New Jersey and at 13 years old he was taught by his two older sisters swing dancing. Later on he was dancing at every spot in Atlanta City to the Savory Ballroom, Halem, New York. When Dean Collins was 28 he had received an award called the " Dancer of the Year" from the news article called New Yorker magazine. Dean then soon left New York and went to New Orleans. He went to New Orleans so that he can understand more of the roots of Swing Dancing, after that he soon went to Los Angeles. As Dean Collins got to Los Angeles, California, Dean had got the upper hand. Since California didn't really have that savory swing dance, the main swing dances in California was the " Camel Hop" and the " Balboa". Dean Collins had said and quoted " Young people in those days took their dancing very seriously. They spent a lot of time with their partner, learned their steps, invented new ones. It was more than a hobby: it was real Passion,", Dean joined a dance competition in California and of course he got to win the competition. When he danced in California he was starting to get well known. Dean Collins created his own version of the Shim Sham. A fact to know Dean Collins was not his actual name. His real name is Sol Ruddosky, and the reason he got the name was that he had a Jewish name and was afraid of would hinder his career, and he found a wallet that the owner of the wallet was name was " Dean Collins". Unfortunately Dean Collins has also got to rest in peacefully. Dean Collins died on June 1, 1984. He died at the age 64 years old. He may be gone but he will not be forgotten though,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34eD21QzUw