Interview: Cynthia Millman: co-author of "Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop"

The autobiography by Frankie Manning: Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop has just been released. Cynthia Millman is co-author of the book and I was curious about her so I did an interview with her to find out more about her and the process behind writing the biography.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? What do you do for a living? When did you start dancing?

I loved dancing as a kid, but didn’t start training until age 12, after seeing a ballet demonstration. Since then I’ve explored many, many forms of classical, modern, and ethnic dance, but once I discovered swing dancing in the mid 1980s, that was it. I have a master’s degree in dance and dance education, and taught dance (mostly to children) and performed (on and off) for 25 years. Somewhere in there, I made a career shift. I earned a master’s in library science, and have been a children’s librarian for the last fifteen years, currently at The Town School in Manhattan.

When did you first meet Frankie?

I first met Frankie at a dance in 1986, which I describe in the book’s introduction. I didn’t really get to know him until I began performing with the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers in 1990. It was while hearing his stories at dinner after rehearsals that I first realized what an interesting life he had lived, and how gifted he was at describing his experiences.

How would you describe Frankie Manning to someone who doesn’t know him?

Frankie Manning was one of the main creators of the lindy hop at Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom during the 1930s. His choregraphic innovations, especially the air step and synchronized ensemble routines, helped catapult the lindy from ballroom to stage and screen. Frankie’s choreography for and performances as a lead dancer with Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers helped popularize the lindy and disseminate it across America and around the world. With the demise of the Swing Era, Frankie took a “temporary” job in the Post Office . . . and ended up working there for 30 years! His rediscovery by a new generation of swing dancers and his professional comeback were a driving force in the swing dance revival that began in the 1980s and is still going strong. Today, at 93, Frankie has a packed teaching schedule and travels constantly to share with others the joy that swing dancing has brought him. An inspiration to us all, Frankie is as beloved for his marvelous personality as he is for his vital role in American dance history.

Frankie is one of my favorite people in the world, and collaborating on his autobiography was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

How come you started to write the book about Frankie Manning?

In 1987, I interviewed Frankie Manning for an article about the swing dance revival for a small local newspaper in Manhattan. I subsequently interviewed him for a master’s thesis project, an extensive exhibit on the history of swing dancing (which showed at swing dance events in New York City, Herrang, London, and Toronto), and for articles in Dance Magazine and The International Encyclopedia of Dance. In 1993, Frankie and I began doing educational presentations on lindy history that included lecture, interview, demonstration, and video clips. Around this time, I realized that I was completely enchanted by the history of swing dancing and asked Frankie if we could do a book together. Happily, he said yes.


Frankie Manning dancing with Cynthia Millman at CAN'T TOP THE LINDY HOP! during a birthday dance on the occasion of his 80th birthday party in New York City, 1994. Photographer: Timothy Swiecicki.

What is your favorite story from the book?

I love all of Frankie’s stories, but the one that stands out for me is when he danced with Betty Grable at a USO show in New Guinea during World War II. In addition to being a fun story, I feel that it illustrates so much of what Frankie is all about: his ability to make the best of a bad situation with incredible pluck and humor; his use of dance to connect to individuals and audiences; his love of entertaining people and lifting their spirits with his dancing; his professionalism as an entertainer; his respect for musicians; his personal charm; and his ability to disable racial prejudice at a time when it was so deeply entrenched in and so openly a part of American culture.

I also find his story about Sergeant Montgomery very moving. It’s one of the first stories I ever heard Frankie tell, and I’ll never forget hearing it that first time.

Now that the book is done, do you have any other subjects that you would like to write about?

As a children’s librarian, I have quite a few ideas for children’s books. I’m also interested in doing some articles on holistic health practices and meditation. And I’m considering some other research projects in the swing dance area.

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Just that I hope everyone enjoys reading about Frankie Manning's life. Part of why we were able to get a publisher was because we could demonstrate to Temple University Press that there was an extensive international audience for Frankie’s story. Thinking about sharing the book with all of you helped keep us going during the lengthy process of getting that rich, long life into the pages of a book.


Thank you, Cynthia Millman, for taking time to answer the questions!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about the book.

Update: Read my book review here.

Order Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop at Amazon.com. Maybe join the campaign to make the book a best seller?

What do you think of this interview? Got other questions for Cynthia Millman? Tell me.

Buy Frankie Mannings biography on May 26th

The living Lindy hop legend Frankie Manning has released his biography: "Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop" (co-written with Cynthia Millman). Since Frankie Manning is having his 93rd birthday at May 26th, there is a campaign to give him a great birthday gift, making his book a bestseller at Amazon.com.

The plan is to have as many people as possible to order Frankie Mannings biography at Amazon May 26th, so it will be on the charts and hopefully thereby get many more peoples attention.

Manu Smith has put together a promotion video about the Frankie Manning bestseller campaign.


You can read more about it at the Frankie Mannings website or at the Yehoodi discussion boards.

Will you participate in this campaign and order "Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy hop" on May 26? Tell me.

Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop

Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop is a autobiography about Frankie Manning who is a living legend in the world of lindy hop. This 350 page book will tell about his life and his career and I think it will be an important piece in the history of swing dancing. The book is written together with Cynthia Millman.

The biography will be released in April/May but you can preorder it now if you want to get it as soon as it becomes available.

Update: Read my book review here.

If you don't want to wait that long to read about that era, I recommend that you get the book Swinging At The Savoy The Memoir of a Jazz Dancer by Norma Miller who also danced in the show troupe Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

Temple University Press lists the contents of "Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop":

Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword: Mercedes Ellington
Frankie Manning: An Appreciation by Cynthia R. Millman
Prologue: Too Stiff

PART ONE: EARLY STEPS (1914-circa 1933)
Chapter 1. Jazz Baby
Chapter 2. Early Ballroom Forays

PART TWO: SAVOY DANCER (circa 1933-1936)
Chapter 3. To the Savoy at Last
Chapter 4. Whitey, Shorty, and Stretch
Chapter 5. Win Win
Chapter 6. Up in the Air She Goes

PART THREE: WHITEY'S LINDY HOPPERS (1936-1943)
Chapter 7. Going Pro
Chapter 8. Big Time at the Cotton Club
Chapter 9. A Big Apple for Whitey
Chapter 10. On Broadway and In the Movies
Chapter 11. Stranded in Rio

PART FOUR: WAR AND HOME (1943-1984)
Chapter 12. Dancer Interrupted
Chapter 13. The Congaroo Dancers and a Day Job

PART FIVE: SECOND ACT (1984-present)
Chapter 14. Revival

APPENDIXES
A. Frankie Manning Timeline
B. Biographies of Lindy Hoppers
C. List of Works Cited or Consulted
C. Frankie's List of Swing Dance on Film/TV
D. Swing Dance Resources
E. Swing Dance Organizations and Events Index

What are your thoughts about this book? Tell me.

Eva Cassidy: Wade in the water: Songbird

Cd review

Singer Eva Cassidy had a magical voice like no other. Too bad she passed away too young. One of the songs that have been played a lot at swing dances is "Wade in the Water" which is originally a gospel song but Eva Cassidy makes this song swing.

"Wade in the Water" has also been used by lindy hop instructors because it has such clearly recognisable breaks in the music.

You can find the song on the album Songbird which has all kinds of beautiful melodies but "Wade in the water" is the only swinging song.

If you want to hear more of Eva Cassidy's jazz and blues repertoire, you should get her album "Live at Blues Alley" or "The Other Side" which she made together with Chuck Brown. All of her albums features several music styles besides jazz and blues, for example folk songs and soul music.

Songbird is also the title of her biography: Eva Cassidy: Songbird: Her Story by Those Who Knew Her.

Finally: A large resource for information about Eva Cassidy.

Do you have these albums? What do you think of them? Tell me.

Music is my mistress by Duke Ellington

Do you want to know more about Duke Ellington?

Book review: Music is my mistress is an autobiography by Duke Ellington about his life, his career and his music.

Did you know that his piano teachers name was Mrs Clinkscales?

In the book Duke Ellington writes about the people he worked with: Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Blanton, Ben Webster, Alice Babs and Cootie Williams among others.

You can find this book in Swedish translation at Uppsala City Library where it is called "Jag älskar musik".

Have you read this book? What do you think? Got any tips about other jazz biographies? Let me know.