Thousands of dancers – from professionals to absolute beginners – are set to join Swing Patrol’s Swing Dance balls across the UK from late October to the end of November. The balls celebrate the first tour of the UK from lindy hop legend, Frankie Manning, in the UK’s biggest series of swing dance events. “Swing”, “jitterbug” and “lindy hop” are all synonyms for the street dance style popularised by Manning and other dancers in New York City from the late 1920s to late 1940s as they fused style, energy and fun.
November has been dubbed UK Frankie Manning month by Swing Patrol in honour of the Harlem lindy hopper who was the world’s leading authority on swing dancing. The Swing Dance balls for UK Frankie Manning month will be organised in collaboration with local swing dance scenes around the nation and kick off in Birmingham (25 October), before moving onto Manchester (1 November), Bristol (14 November), London (15 November) and Edinburgh (28 November).
Each Swing Dance Ball will be hosted by Swing Patrol’s founder, Scott Cupit, who will lead lessons for hundreds of absolute beginners so everyone attending can join in, even if they’ve never danced a step in their lives. Swing Patrol’s professional performers will then perform some of Frankie Manning’s signature moves – including his favourite acrobatic lifts, jumps and flips – to delight the guests. During November, Swing Patrol’s regular classes will focus on teaching Manning’s moves and Cupit will also be giving talks about Frankie Manning, swing music and dancing to jazz music.
From ballroom to break dancing, Frankie Manning’s moves have had a massive impact on dance culture. Consequently, the awareness of the mix of classic and contemporary style of swing dancing has rocketed since Swing Patrol’s success on Dragons’ Den, spreading the joy of this energetic and sociable pastime.