Swing 101 — 20 Original Lindy Hoppers Every Beginner Should Know (Or At least See Dance)

Chances are most beginner dancers will hear the name Frankie Manning at some point in the first couple of months of their dancing. But how long will they dance before they hear the names Jewel McGowan, Lenny Smith, Jean Veloz, or Leon James? Or, more importantly, see them dance?

In my opinion, the sooner a beginner dancer sees the great dance voices of the past, the sooner they can get excited and draw inspiration from those great voices. (Hence, it’s not all that important that a beginner dancer know all the names — just that they see the amazing but different things Lindy Hop meant to all these great individuals in the dance.)

And that’s what this video is for, which doesn’t even cover all of the 1930s & 40s dancers of note and hardly any of the post WWII generation’s. Hence, it’s just a starting point. But don’t worry, there’s a “20 More…” list coming.





The 20 (Okay, there are more than 20) dancers are:

1. Shorty George

2. “Big” Bea

3. Frankie Manning

4. Ann Johnson

5. Jewel McGowan

6. Dean Collins

7. Leon James

8. Norma Miller

9. “Snookie” Beasely

10. Willa Mae Ricker

11. George Greenidge (invented a lot of the Lindy Charleston moves)

12. Arthur Walsh

13. Jean Veloz

14. Lenny Smith

15. Al Minns

16. Pepsi Bethel

17. Irene Thomas

18. William Downes

19. Mickey Jones

20. Hal Takier

21. Betty Takier

22. Gil Brady

Other dancers mentioned are Ella Gibson, Sugar Sullivan, Alice Scott & Chuck Saggau — all also good dancers in their own right. Sugar still teaches today.

The clips are, in order of appearance:

After Seben



See Uncle Sol



Hellzapoppin



Keep Punching “The Big Apple”



Frankie Manning Montage



Buck Privates



The Powers Girl



Hi Neighbor



Bobby McGees Dance Party



Day At The Races



Helzapoppin (again)

Norma Miller’s Lindy Hoppers



Groovie Movie



Swing Fever



Twice Blessed



Jean Veloz Dancing



Helzapoppin (Again)

Tranke Doo from The Spirit Moves



The “Playboy Clip”



The Spirit Moves



Al Minns in NY



Swing Shift Swing



Grovie Movie (again)

Irene Thomas dancing at Bobby McGees



Helzapoppin (again)

Twice Blessed (again)

Bobby McGees Dance Party (again)

Don’t Knock the Rock



Rock That Swing

