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It is with great regret that we announce the passing of Frankie on the 27th April 2009, aged 94. A legendary lindy hopper and inspiration to tens of thousands of dancers around the world (including us) passed away peacefully in the early morning of the 27th. He was a kind and generous soul who would light up a room with his smile, he will be sadly missed.
ODE TO FRANKIE MANNING
It is with great pleasure that we include this small dedication to an inspirational figure for both Joanna and I, Mr Frankie Manning. An original jitterbug from 1930’s New York Harlem dance scene. We had the pleasure of his wisdom and experience in New Zealand for a Lindy Hop workshop in February 2002. At 87 years of age, Frankie’s workshop was testament that dancing is not just for the young. The following article was a summary of Frankie’s visit written for the Rockin With The Beat magazine, May 2002 Issue No.7.
The Quiet Guy Report with Rodney Moore
FRANKIE MANNING - PART II
Finally the second and final instalment on the King of Swing, Frankie Manning’s Kiwi experience. I realise this has been a long time coming but spare time has been somewhat elusive of late. Foremost, apologies to our editor for the few pending articles I have yet to complete! I did promise Part Two for this edition, and your if reading my chicken scrawl then obviously I've made it! Secondly one small correction from Part One - Tracy Nicholls is not a dance teacher, as the sentence suggested. George and his sister Jackie are! Sorry guys I knew what I meant; only wished I had written it that way!
Well where should I start? I first meet Frankie while attending one of his workshops in Adelaide Australia January 2001. It was another of life’s great moments, as after learning off of his instructional videos we were finally meeting the swing legend himself! And what a guy, no different to you or I - and that’s the way Frankie likes it. As some of you know Frankie is particularly passionate about lindy hop and while attending one of his workshops you’ll be captivated and inspired, instructed and entertained. That’s how it transpired for me in Adelaide. I could not rate highly enough the value and experience gained while attending a Frankie Manning workshop. What truly impressed me, apart from his kind and sincere nature, and a great sense of humour, is his intrinsic unassuming disposition. I could go on and on with a list of attributes but that’s not the Frankie style. At the last day of the Adelaide workshop Frankie surprised and gratified Jo and myself by wearing our NZ gifts (T-shirt and matching baseball cap featuring NZ sheep! It’s no wonder we get the jokes). After a couple of photos the usual conversational banter we came to learn of his last visit to NZ, while on tour in 1938!
His arrival in NZ was quiet affair, but no sooner had he and Judy cleared customs had Jo whisked them away for his first New Zealand media encounter. My reunion consisted of a quick hello while rushing from an early work release and diving into the waiting car way laden with a heap of gear! Then contending with the early stages of peak hour traffic and Jo’s reserved driving (!!!) in order to keep our scheduled interview. Not the start I would have liked - but Frankie is a real trouper and the resulting photo was credit to the man behind that trademark smile. The days preceding the workshop were again fairly low key (remembering Frankie had already completed two other workshops the two weekends prior to the Wellington event in Perth and Melbourne respectively). Wednesday afternoon brought Clayton Anderson from TV3’s Nightline face to face with Frankie, and what a great report that featured later that evening on Nightline (copy of this on official video). Jo and I had a lot of fun with this one, filling in as a couple of ‘swing students’ dancing along side of Frankie and Judy. Friday saw Frankie (with Judy) appearing on Wellington TV (local station and also on official video) for an interview and fervent dance demonstration that blew away the station crew - if only you could have witnessed what went on from the other side of the cameras! We were pleased to have the stations’ manager and his daughter participate in the workshop the next day as a result. Actually soon after that programme was aired Frankie was recognised and stopped while sightseeing with Jo in the central city.
Here at last was the main event, Day One - Session One with Frankie Manning in New Zealand. I don’t quite know what everybody was expecting but it didn’t take them long to respond to Frankie and his magic touch. With his years of dance experience Frankie soon had the kiwis in full swing! He later told us how much he enjoys teaching lindy hop to a group of 'first time swingers' - the lindy hop kind of course! Frankie is highly zealous and excited while teaching, as witnessed by those of us at the workshop. If his energy doesn’t move you then his sense of humour certainly will - who could forget 72 people simultaneously hen pecking! A point of interest for the workshop participants; when Jo and I were confirming the workshop timetable, Frankie advised us how he structures his day - two sessions per day at 75 minutes each separated by at least a two hour rest period. Now at the Wellington workshop he often ran over this time limit, as he was totally immersed with progressing lindy hops newest inductees.
Come Saturday night and party time. Shona Smith and company had organised the evening dance and band, and Jo had a special treat to officially welcome Frankie - a traditional Maori welcome complete with poi’s and a greenstone pendant. Both Frankie and Judy were quite taken with this welcoming gesture, afterwards stating that nobody had ever honoured them with a traditional native welcome. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Fortunately I was armed with my trusty picture-capturing device, and consequently have some fantastic photos of Frankie and Judy flashing the pearly whites (from ear to ear) in total rapture of this welcoming display. Now this was not the only treat in store that night, Frankie is a remarkable story teller - and soon after our entranced group had the pleasure of hearing how Frankie came into the swing scene, learned to dance, entered his first competition, and a few of his many entertaining escapades; All the while giving insights into the life and times of the 20’s and 30’s New York. Frankie dropping a who’s who list of the times musical and film greats - hanging with the likes of Cab Callaway, Duke Ellington, and a few of the big name film stars (whose names I have misplaced!). One memorable story included how Frankie and his dance partner at the time developed the first ‘air step’ (what we would call an aerial or throw in R’n’R). Jo and I had heard this one from the Adelaide workshop, and specifically requested Frankie share it with the group - fantastic story! (We have also included on the official workshop video). Another favourite, which had me in tears of laughter, was the time Frankie imitated a Nicholas Brothers manoeuvre in one of his many stage performances; with an unexpected ending for Frankie, but to the delight and amusement of the audience (and the band who were endeavouring to play while in various states of hysterics). Honestly I would have paid just to hear Frankie share a tale or two. If you get an opportunity to hang with Mr Manning, do it.
And with the final official outing for the weekend’s activities, coffee and cake at Strawberry Fare Sunday evening, we concluding the Frankie Manning Experience NZ style. A rather relaxing and laid back affair for those keen (and still in town) swingers to hang one last time with the king of swing. Plus the previous nights meal I had prepared was not up to my usual high standards (what happens when you double a recipe without prior testing!), so eating out was definitely the order of the day!
Jo and I then had one last trip aka a bit of sightseeing the following day. As Frankie and Judy had recently seen the LOTR film (and Judy was dead keen on seeing some of the real kiwi countryside) we headed out of town to Staglands to view the local (and some not so local) flora and fauna. Proceeded by a dash into Greytown for lunch and viewing the local wears. Frankie and Judy could not get over the similarity of the real kiwi countryside and that presented in LOTR. Thanks to the weather man for an absolute stunner of a day, adding to the enhancement of the days outing to all in attendance, particularly the overseas guests!
And with some sadness the culmination of several months’ preparation and hard work were now in their final stages! Fortunately it was another beautiful day and it made the goodbye that much more memorable. I'll forever remember Frankie's last words, and no I'm not going to quote them, as time will reveal their intentions. Thanks Frankie for a truly moving experience, thank you to those that participated in our workshop - please keep doing it and spread the word (we have other ideas in the pipeline, and welcome your suggestion and feedback); thank you to all those people that have come to our aid in times of need, and especially to Jo for hatching the idea.
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