Whitey's Lindy Hoppers facts for kids

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was an amazing group of professional swing dancers. They were first put together in the late 1920s by Herbert "Whitey" White. They danced at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, New York. The group stopped performing in 1942 because many of the male dancers joined the military during World War II.

This dance group had different names over time, like Whitey's Hopping Maniacs and The Hot Chocolates. They traveled all over the country and even to other countries to perform. They also appeared in several movies and Broadway theatre shows. Famous stars like Dorothy Dandridge and Sammy Davis Jr. were often seen with the group.

The Story of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

Herbert "Whitey" White was a bouncer at the Savoy Ballroom. He started gathering talented dancers in the late 1920s. At first, he worked with George Snowden, another dancer. Later, Whitey took charge of the group himself. Many dancers respected Whitey for helping the Lindy Hop dance become famous.

In 1934, a dancer named Norma Miller joined the group. She was only 14 years old, making her the youngest member.

In 1935, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers competed in a big dance contest. It was called the Harvest Moon Ball and took place at Madison Square Garden. After the contest, the group went on a long tour of Europe for seven months!

In 1936, the group started a tour across the United States. They performed with the famous singer Ethel Waters. While they were in California, they met the funny Marx Brothers. They also met actors Allan Jones and Maureen O’Sullivan. This led to their first movie appearance in A Day at the Races (1937). This movie was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In the film, they danced and sang in a song called "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm." The singer Ivie Anderson and members of Duke Ellington’s orchestra were also in the scene. The dance part was so good that the choreographer, Dave Gould, was nominated for an Academy Award.

In 1938, the group competed in the Harvest Moon Ball again. This time, the show was hosted by Ed Sullivan. Sullivan was so impressed that he invited them to perform on his TV show, Toast of the Town. This show later became The Ed Sullivan Show. The group also competed in the Harvest Moon Ball in 1939 and 1940.

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers performed in the movie Hellzapoppin' (1941). In this movie, they did amazing moves like flips, slides, kicks, splits, and lifts. After filming, the group traveled to Rio de Janeiro to perform. But because of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, they could not find a way to get back home. They ended up staying in Rio for 10 months. This trip used up almost all their energy and money.

In 1942, the group went on a three-week tour. They performed with musicians Cootie Williams and Pearl Bailey. They danced at famous places like the Apollo Theater in New York. They also performed at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. and the Royal Theatre in Baltimore. Soon after this tour, the group broke up. Many of the male dancers were called to serve in the military during World War II.

After the group stopped performing, Whitey moved away. He opened a restaurant in Oswego. He passed away in September 1950.

Famous Dancers in the Group

Some of the most well-known members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers include Al Minns, Leon James, Frankie Manning, and Norma Miller.

• Al Minns and Leon James helped with important research for a book called Jazz Dance.
• Al Minns also worked with a group called the Hot Shots in the 1980s. This was when swing dancing became popular again.
• After Minns passed away in 1985, Frankie Manning helped lead the new interest in swing dancing.
• Norma Miller taught and gave presentations at the Herräng Dance Camp until she passed away in 2019.

Most of the group members were Black. However, Ruthie Reingold, Harry Rosenberg, and Jimmy Valentine were white. Even though mixed-race dancing was fine at the Savoy Ballroom, it was not always accepted by everyone back then. Because of this, the white members are not seen in some of the early videos of the group.

Some Talented Members

Here are some of the dancers who were part of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers:

Black Members

• Eleanor "Stumpy" Atkinson (Watson) – She was very short, only 4 feet 11 inches tall. She joined in 1937 and was known for her amazing footwork.
• Pettis Dotson "Snooky" Beasley – He was known for a dance step called the lock.
• Clyde "Brownie" Brown – He was Whitey's helper for a while.
• John "Tiny" Bunch – He weighed over 300 pounds, so his nickname "Tiny" was a joke! But he was loved for how lively he was despite his size. His dance partner was the small Dorothy "Dot" Moses.
• Cornelia "Connie" Hill – She won the Lindy Hop contest at the 1939 Harvest Moon Ball with Russell Williams.
• Leon James
• Thomas "Tops" Lee – He won the Lindy Hop contest at the 1940 Harvest Moon Ball with Wilda Crawford. He was called "Tops" because he thought very highly of himself!
• Frankie Manning
• Norma Miller
• Al Minns
• Dorothy "Dot" Moses – She was the small partner of "Tiny" Bunch.
• Willa Mae Ricker
• Russell Williams – He won the Lindy Hop contest at the 1939 Harvest Moon Ball with Connie Hill. He later changed his name to Rasul Ali Ibm Aleem. He sadly passed away trying to stop a fight.

White Members

• Ruthie Reingold
• Harry Rosenberg
• Jimmy Valentine

Movies They Appeared In

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers showed off their moves in several movies:

• A Day at the Races, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937 (with the Marx Brothers)
• Manhattan Merry-Go-Round, Republic Pictures, 1937
• Radio City Revels, RKO Pictures, 1938
• Keep Punching, M.C. Pictures, 1939 (also known as Jittering Jitterbugs, featuring the Big Apple dance)
• Hellzapoppin', Universal Pictures, 1941
• Hot Chocolates (Cottontail), RCM Productions, 1941 Soundies (short musical films)
• The Outline of Jitterbug History, RCM Productions, 1942 Soundies
• Sugar Hill Masquerade, Minoco Productions, 1942 Soundies
• Killer Diller, All-American News, 1948 – four members of the group were in this one.

Broadway Shows They Performed In

The group also performed in popular shows on Broadway:

• Hot Mikado (with Bill Robinson)
• Black Rhythm (1936)
• Cotton Club Revue (with Cab Calloway) (1938)