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In Swingin'
at the Savoy dancer, award-winning choreographer, show producer,
stand-up comedienne, TV / film actress, and author, Norma
Miller shares her touching historical memoir of Harlem's legendary
Savoy Ballroom and the phenomenal music and dance craze that "spread the
power of Swing across the world like wildfire".
Temple Univ. Press Numerous photographs $17.99 |
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Lindy Hoppers' transatlantic trip enroute to their first European tour: "The worst part was the music. Up until then we had danced mostly at the Savoy, and we knew all the bands, all the musicians, all the music, all the solos, and all the riffs. Even at the Harvest Moon Ball, our first dance outside the Savoy, we danced to Fletcher Henderson's swing band. But this, this was different. The band, a small, four-piece British combo, had no concept of swing. The drummer had a rickety, ticky sound with no push and no beat. We didn't even know that there was popular music that didn't swing. It was appalling...We realized that we were at the mercy of whatever band we were working with. Dancing the Lindy Hop was a very emotional thing, and a good swinging drummer could make you sail through a routine, you never got tired because everything was in synch. But this, this was a dance trial." |