|
|
|
Stage Name |
Real
Name (s) |
| Whitey's
Lindy Hoppers, plus others |
Whitey's
Lindy Hoppers |
|
Pre 1930 they were originally called 'Whyte's
Maniacs,' then 'Whitey's HoppingManiac's' and was later renamed to
'Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.' The group consisted of many Lindy dancers
over time. Hubert 'Whitey' White
was the groups founder and booker. The Hoppers were officially
started in the early 1930's at the Savoy
ballroom in Harlem, New York. The main competition
for White was the Shorty
George Snowden Trio, who most of the dancers followed at the
time... as his group was the first performance group in Lindy
Hop.
<Pic is from Hellzapoppin')
|
-The Hoppers would go on to dominate
the Lindy
Hop scene in contests and exhibition's for quite a few years
to come with even Shorty George working with them from time
to time. The Lindy hoppers incorporated the Flash Acts or "Acrobatics"
called Air-Steps into many of their routines. These acrobatics
were being performed by many dance stars previous to the Lindy
Hoppers for over 30 years prior, especially the Russian based
vaudeville dancers of the day, allthough Frankie Manning claims
to have invented them, he only helped introduce them into the
Lindy Hop along with legendary dancers Leon
James and Al Minns (who were
the kings untill they passed away) and Shorty Snowden.
There
are some negative stories about Whitey and his 'Strongmen' and
the ethics he used to get dancers to dance on his team from
intimidation to strong arming and even murder among rival "Gangs,"
how true these stories are today are anyone's guess (but
there are a few newspaper pieces that lend some credence).
Marshall Sterns book entitled Jazz dance gives a good view of
some of this. However, historically, this was to change the
Lindy dance itself over time and the dance scene for the better
over history. The Whitey's Lindy Hoppers did more for Lindy
Hop than any other group in the world, ever.
There were a few sub groups that would dance when the main group
was booked elsewhere, such as the 'Hopping Maniacs, The Congeroo
Dancers, Harlem Maniacs, The Congeroo's, Savoy Lindy Hoppers,
White's Steppers, The Big Applers, The Big Apple Dancers, etc.
Two of the best WLH Lindy scenes are in the movies: 'Day
At The Races' with the Marx Brothers and Olsen and Johnson's
'Hellzapoppin'.
The Lindy Hoppers also danced in a few Broadway musicals such
as the "Hot Mikado" with Bojangles, Black Rhythm [1936]
and the 1938 show at the Cotton
Club called the 'Cotton Club Revue' with Cab Calloway leading
the number called "A Lesson in Jive" - in which Whyte's
Lindy Hoppers danced in this show and the Boogie
Woogie was said to be introduced in the show as well.
|
| Various
known troupe members |
Name |
Birth Place |
Birth Date |
Spouse |
Offspring |
| Ali
? |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
| Al
Minns |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Al
Daniels |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alnora
Dyson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Ann
Johnson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Billy
Ricker |
|
d.1987 |
Wila
Mae-Ricker |
|
|
|
| Billy
Williams |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Connie
Hill |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dot
Johnson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Eddie
Davis |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Eleanor
Watson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Ella
Gibson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Esther
Washington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Eunice
Callin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Francis
Jones |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Frankie
Manning |
Jacksonville,
FL |
b.5/25/1914 |
|
|
|
Chazz
Young |
| Frieda
Washington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| George
Grenidge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Harry
Rosenberg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Helen
Daniels |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| James Brown |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jerome
Williams |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Joe
Daniels |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Joyce
James |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leon
James |
?Texas? |
?10/17/1916
- 11/1976? |
Hazel
James |
|
|
|
| Louise
Andrews |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lucille
Middleton |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Maggie
McMillan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mickey
Sayles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mildred
Cruse |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mildred
Pollard* |
|
|
|
|
Albert
Gibson |
|
|
|
| Naomi
Waller |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Norma
Miller |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Pepsi
Bethel |
|
1919
- 8/30/2002 |
|
|
|
aka:
Alfred Bethel |
| Russell
Williams |
|
(deceased) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Ruthie
Rheingold |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sandra
Gibson* |
(see
Mildred) |
|
|
|
Albert
Gibson |
|
|
|
| Snookie
Beasley |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tiny
Bunch |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thomas
Lee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wilma
Crawford |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Will
Downes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Willa
Mae Ricker |
|
d.1960s |
Billy
Ricker |
|
|
|
|
All Known Swing Dance Groups (Lindy, Jitterbug,
Big Apple etc) prior to 1960. Listing all spellings of troupes |
| Big
Apple Dancer's |
Jivin'
Jacks and Jill's |
Swing
Maniacs |
| Big
Appler's |
Jungle
Jivesters, The |
Three
Congeroos |
| Congeroo's |
Lenox
Lindy Hoppers |
White's
Hopping Maniacs (Cotton Club) |
| Congeroo
dancers |
Ozzy
Malone's Jitterbugs |
Whitey's
Lindy Hoppers |
| Harlem
Maniacs (Boy What a Girl) |
Ray
Rand Swingers (Los Angeles Dancers) |
Whitey's
Steppers (Hellzapoppin') |
| Harlemaniacs, the (Harlem Cavalcade) |
Savoy
Hoppers |
Whyte's
Hopping Maniacs |
| Hopping
Maniac's |
Savoy
Lindy Hoppers and Big Applers |
Whyte's
Maniacs |
| International
Jitterbugs (Ann Cornell's) |
Shorty
Snowden Trio |
|
| Jitterbug
Johnnies (Savoy dancers 1950's) |
|
|
| Jive-A-Dears |
|
|
|
| NOTE:These
are how they are billed in the Program's, Flyers or Poster's, doesn't
really mean that's what they should have been called. Also see other
styles like Jitterbug, East Coast, Jive, Harvet Moon Ball, etcetera
as there are additional Swing Films listed there (some are Lindy
Hop rather than the named dances - but are listed as such, so they
go there. |
|
