Charleston/Breakaway/Cakewalk/Lindy Hop? From the 1929 film - TopicsExpress



          

Charleston/Breakaway/Cakewalk/Lindy Hop? From the 1929 film short After Seban A little Charleston, a little Cake Walk, Breakaway and a little Lindy Hop. The third couple, Shorty George Snowden and Little Bea are certainly the most interesting. Shorty George did not create the Lindy Hop, but he did apparently name it. This is probably the first example of Lindy Hop on film and it is also the first appearance of the Chick Webb band on film. Shorty George Snowden was the top dancer in the Savoy Ballroom from its opening in 1927 into the early 30s, when he formed the first professional Lindy Hop troupe, the Shorty Snowden Dancers. They performed with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra at the Paradise Club downtown through most of the thirties.Although he was barely five feet tall, Snowden made his height an asset rather than a liability. With comic genius, he parodied himself in his signature Shorty George step, in which his bent his knees, swinging from side to side, exaggerating his closeness to the ground. Shortys partner, Big Bea, towered over him. They often ended their routines in a comic move in which she carried him off the dance floor on her back. Frankie Manning says that this move inspired him to create his first air step, in which his partner started out on his back and then she flipped over his head and landed on the ground. Ironically, Shorty was defeated by Manning in a major competition when Manning introducted this first air step in 1935. Manning replaced Snowden as reigning king of the Savoy. Manning remembers his first idol and sometime competitor at the Savoy this way: Shorty was a great comic dancer who knew his art well, like Jack Benny on violin and Victor Borge on piano.He brought comical moves to Lindy Hop and intricacies of footwork. More info: savoystyle/shorty_george.html
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 12:01:16 +0000

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