The Shim Sham (with Frankie Manning!)
This DVD will teach you the Shim Sham, a classic swing/tap line dance popular in the '30s and '40s and still danced enthusiastically today. Frankie Manning and Erin Stevens will demonstrate the basic footwork, syncopations, and styling.
The true origin of the Shim Sham is debatable. Among those given credit for its creation are Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant, who danced at the Apollo Club. in Harlem, in the early '30s, and Joe Jones, who danced with the tap dance ensemble, The Three Little Words, at a club called Connie's Inn. The Three Little Words would close their show with "the Sham" and invite everyone in the club to join them. At Frankie Manning's 80th birthday party in 1994, more than 400 dancers honored Frankie by having him lead them in the Shim Sham.
The Savoy Club, in Harlem, was home base for the Lindy Hop during the Swing Era. The Savoy was the place to see and be seen - a place where partner dance thrived, and jazz music flourished.
*Frankie Manning turned ninety in 2004 and passed away in 2009. The footage on this DVD was shot when he was a youthful 80. Frankie was one of the lead dancers in a performance group based at the Savoy, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. During the Swing Era, this troupe performed Lindy Hop worldwide, appearing in movies and on the Ed Sullivan Show. Frankie was featured in pictorial spreads in Life magazine and also had his own troupe, the Congaroo Dancers.
The early 1950s saw a decline in the popularity of swing dance. In 1954 Frankie began a 30+ year sabbatical from performing and joined the U.S. Postal Service. In 1987, at the age of 72, Frankie reemerged into the world of dance at the encouragement of Erin Stevens and her dance partner. Frankie then again had the opportunity to tour and teach around the world. In 1989 he received a Tony award for his choreography in the Broadway show Black & Blue, and was a dance consultant for Spike Lee's film, Malcolm X, and has appeared on numerous TV specials.
Erin Stevens and her family run PBDA (The Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association), which has brought partner dancing into the lives of thousands. Erin also performs and teaches internationally.
Other videos and DVDs with Frankie and Erin: Lindy Hop 1, 2, and 3, plus Swingin' at the Savoy - Frankie Manning's Story, a documentary featuring Frankie's recollections.
This DVD will teach you the Shim Sham, a classic swing/tap line dance popular in the '30s and '40s and still danced enthusiastically today. Frankie Manning and Erin Stevens will demonstrate the basic footwork, syncopations, and styling.
The true origin of the Shim Sham is debatable. Among those given credit for its creation are Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant, who danced at the Apollo Club. in Harlem, in the early '30s, and Joe Jones, who danced with the tap dance ensemble, The Three Little Words, at a club called Connie's Inn. The Three Little Words would close their show with "the Sham" and invite everyone in the club to join them. At Frankie Manning's 80th birthday party in 1994, more than 400 dancers honored Frankie by having him lead them in the Shim Sham.
The Savoy Club, in Harlem, was home base for the Lindy Hop during the Swing Era. The Savoy was the place to see and be seen - a place where partner dance thrived, and jazz music flourished.
*Frankie Manning turned ninety in 2004 and passed away in 2009. The footage on this DVD was shot when he was a youthful 80. Frankie was one of the lead dancers in a performance group based at the Savoy, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. During the Swing Era, this troupe performed Lindy Hop worldwide, appearing in movies and on the Ed Sullivan Show. Frankie was featured in pictorial spreads in Life magazine and also had his own troupe, the Congaroo Dancers.
The early 1950s saw a decline in the popularity of swing dance. In 1954 Frankie began a 30+ year sabbatical from performing and joined the U.S. Postal Service. In 1987, at the age of 72, Frankie reemerged into the world of dance at the encouragement of Erin Stevens and her dance partner. Frankie then again had the opportunity to tour and teach around the world. In 1989 he received a Tony award for his choreography in the Broadway show Black & Blue, and was a dance consultant for Spike Lee's film, Malcolm X, and has appeared on numerous TV specials.
Erin Stevens and her family run PBDA (The Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association), which has brought partner dancing into the lives of thousands. Erin also performs and teaches internationally.
Other videos and DVDs with Frankie and Erin: Lindy Hop 1, 2, and 3, plus Swingin' at the Savoy - Frankie Manning's Story, a documentary featuring Frankie's recollections.
This DVD will teach you the Shim Sham, a classic swing/tap line dance popular in the '30s and '40s and still danced enthusiastically today. Frankie Manning and Erin Stevens will demonstrate the basic footwork, syncopations, and styling.
The true origin of the Shim Sham is debatable. Among those given credit for its creation are Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant, who danced at the Apollo Club. in Harlem, in the early '30s, and Joe Jones, who danced with the tap dance ensemble, The Three Little Words, at a club called Connie's Inn. The Three Little Words would close their show with "the Sham" and invite everyone in the club to join them. At Frankie Manning's 80th birthday party in 1994, more than 400 dancers honored Frankie by having him lead them in the Shim Sham.
The Savoy Club, in Harlem, was home base for the Lindy Hop during the Swing Era. The Savoy was the place to see and be seen - a place where partner dance thrived, and jazz music flourished.
*Frankie Manning turned ninety in 2004 and passed away in 2009. The footage on this DVD was shot when he was a youthful 80. Frankie was one of the lead dancers in a performance group based at the Savoy, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. During the Swing Era, this troupe performed Lindy Hop worldwide, appearing in movies and on the Ed Sullivan Show. Frankie was featured in pictorial spreads in Life magazine and also had his own troupe, the Congaroo Dancers.
The early 1950s saw a decline in the popularity of swing dance. In 1954 Frankie began a 30+ year sabbatical from performing and joined the U.S. Postal Service. In 1987, at the age of 72, Frankie reemerged into the world of dance at the encouragement of Erin Stevens and her dance partner. Frankie then again had the opportunity to tour and teach around the world. In 1989 he received a Tony award for his choreography in the Broadway show Black & Blue, and was a dance consultant for Spike Lee's film, Malcolm X, and has appeared on numerous TV specials.
Erin Stevens and her family run PBDA (The Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association), which has brought partner dancing into the lives of thousands. Erin also performs and teaches internationally.
Other videos and DVDs with Frankie and Erin: Lindy Hop 1, 2, and 3, plus Swingin' at the Savoy - Frankie Manning's Story, a documentary featuring Frankie's recollections.