Whitey's Lindy Hoppers facts for kids
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was a professional group of amazing swing dancers. They were first put together in the late 1920s by Herbert "Whitey" White. They danced at the famous Savoy Ballroom. The group stopped performing in 1942 because many of the male dancers joined the army for World War II. The group had different names like Whitey's Hopping Maniacs. Their dances were inspired by Frankie Manning. They traveled all over the country and even to other countries. They also appeared in several movies and Broadway theatre shows. Famous people like Dorothy Dandridge and Sammy Davis Jr. often watched them.
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The Story of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers
Herbert "Whitey" White was a bouncer at the Savoy Ballroom. In the late 1920s, he started gathering the best dancers. At first, he worked with George Snowden, and then he led the group himself. Some dancers felt Whitey treated them unfairly. But many others admired how he helped make their dance famous.
In 1934, Norma Miller joined the group. She was only 14 years old, making her the youngest member.
In 1935, the group entered a big dance contest. It was called the Harvest Moon Ball and took place at Madison Square Garden. After that, they went on a seven-month tour in Europe.
In 1936, the group started a tour across the U.S. They performed with the famous singer Ethel Waters. While they were in California, they met the Marx Brothers. They also met 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. 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 this part. The dance director, Dave Gould, was even nominated for an Academy Award for this dance scene.
In 1938, the group competed in the Harvest Moon Ball again. This time, Ed Sullivan hosted the event. Sullivan then invited members of the group to perform on his TV show, Toast of the Town. This show later became The Ed Sullivan Show. The group also competed in the contest in 1939 and 1940.
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers performed in the movie Hellzapoppin' (1941). In this movie, they did amazing 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 home. They ended up staying for 10 months. This used up almost all their energy and money.
In 1942, the group went on a three-week tour. They performed with Cootie Williams and Pearl Bailey. This tour included shows at the Apollo Theater, the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., and the Royal Theatre in Baltimore. The group broke up soon after this tour. This was because the male dancers were called to serve in World War II.
After the group ended, Whitey White moved to Oswego. He opened a restaurant there. He passed away in September 1950.
Key Dancers of the Group
Some of the most well-known members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers were Al Minns, Leon James, Frankie Manning, and Norma Miller.
- Al Minns and Leon James helped researchers write an important book called Jazz Dance.
- Al Minns also worked with a group called the Hot Shots in the 1980s. This was during a time when swing dancing became popular again.
- Frankie Manning helped bring back swing dancing after Al Minns passed away in 1985.
- Norma Miller taught and performed at the Herräng Dance Camp until she passed away in 2019.
A few members of the group were white, including Ruthie Reingold, Harry Rosenberg, and Jimmy Valentine. Even though mixed-race dancing was okay at the Savoy Ballroom, many people outside the ballroom did not approve. Because of this, these members are not seen in the group's early videos.
Some Notable Members
- Eleanor "Stumpy" Atkinson (Watson) – She was very short, only 4 feet 11 inches tall. She joined in 1937 and was known for her great footwork.
- Pettis Dotson "Snooky" Beasley – He was known for a dance step called the lock.
- Clyde "Brownie" Brown – For a while, he was Whitey's main helper.
- John "Tiny" Bunch – He weighed over 300 pounds, so his nickname 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.
- 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.
- Russell Williams – He later changed his name to Rasul Ali Ibm Aleem. He won the Lindy Hop contest at the 1939 Harvest Moon Ball with Connie Hill. Sadly, he was killed trying to stop a fight.
Movies They Appeared In
- 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
- Hot Mikado (with Bill Robinson)
- Black Rhythm (1936)
- Cotton Club Revue (with Cab Calloway) (1938)
