Vintage Dance Clips

Hellzapoppin’ (1941) – Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers

The dancers are all part of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers dance troupe. Principal choreography was created by Frankie Manning, as he recounts in his autobiography Ambassador of Lindy Hop. The incredible dancers are, in order of appearance: Frances “Mickey” Jones and William Downes, Norma Miller and Billy Ricker, Willamae Ricker and Al Minns, Ann Johnson and Frankie Manning
Originally Wilda Crawford and Thomas “Tops” Lee were part of the routine. But after missing a rehearsal and not providing any excuse, Frankie had them cut and replaced with Willa Mae Ricker and Al Minns.
Musicians, according to Yehoodi (http://www.yehoodi.com/blog/2018/7/23… ) Slim Gaillard – piano, guitar Slam Stewart – bass Rex Stewart – cornet Elmer Fane – clarinet Jap Jones – trombone Cee Pee Johnson – drums

Venice Beach Clip

“A Swungover ™ collection of different snippets of “the Venice Beach clip,” (some of which are repeats). Film shows a group of LA Swing dancers probably promoting a local California swing dance contest in September, 1938. The dancers doing LA Swing (early form of Bal-Swing) are Hal and Betty Takier (man in white top, black pants, does the move that takes them to the ground); Jack Helwig and Genevieve Grazis (couple in all white); Richard “Dick” Landry in the striped top, dancing with the shorter unknown woman; Collegiate Shag couple is Connie Wydell and possibly Barbara Plum. This style of dancing is today placed under the blanket term Balboa, though these original dancers thought of Balboa as a separate kind of dance (what we now refer to as Pure Balboa.) For more info, please visit http://www.swungover.com”

Dean and Jewel

Bobby McGees Footage

“Here is a very rare short film excerpt from 1937 called Phony Boy with Cass Daly. There are 3 couples that are dancing Collegiate Shag at the beginning of the short. The couple in the white jacket in the center of the dance floor is John and Ruth Englert the 1937 Harvest Moon Collegiate Shag dance champions. The couple on the left of the screen is Virginia Hart and William Ledger. The 3rd couple on the right of the screen is believed to be Joan and Gene Biggins.”
This clip from 1929 is by most accounts the birth of Lindy Hop on film.