Tuesday Trivia: The First Lindy Hop Airstep
by Alain Wong
The Savoy Ballroom. During 33 years of existence, over 250 top
bands played the Savoy, including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and
Cab Calloway. One night actress Lana Tuner called it the “Home of
Happy Feet”, and the nickname stuck.
And yes, it was also known as “The Track” because of its early use for dog racing. Congratulations to Eddie, Aleix and Kait for each finding part of the answer.
We’re overwhelmingly happy with the interest in our Tuesday Trivia, thank you readers! Note that we do research these trivia questions/answers, but by no means do we presume to know everything - we will make mistakes along the way. So please share with us if and when you find an inaccurate statement. Thank you Terry Monaghan for sharing your research with us on the Harvest Moon Ball answer.
This Week’s Tuesday Trivia Question: The First Lindy Hop Airstep
1. What was Shorty Snowden and his partner Big Bea’s signature show
step for competitions?
2. What was the first airstep associated with Lindy Hop executed in a
dance contest? and who were the creators of this step?
Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.
I recently read Frankie Manning’s autobiography, so this is somewhat fresh in my mind.
1. Shorty George Snowden was known for doing the “Shorty George” underneath his partner’s legs, but the real signature is that they’d link arms back to back, and Big Bea would carry him off stage while he kicked in the air.
2. Frankie Manning and his partner (name escapes me at this time) did the first air step - it was a continuation of George and Bea’s act - they linked arms, Frankie went down, his partner went up over his back and landed in front of him. A back to back flip, for some reason I think it’s called the knickerbocker, but I could be wrong. They did this at the Savoy (of course!) during a competition, and it was the move that sealed Frankie as the winner of that competition.
If I remember from Frankie’s book correctly it was the over the back flip. Where the couple is back to back and he flips her over and then they’re facing each other. Frankie does it in Hellzapoppin’. I think he says it was inspired by how Big Bea would pick up Shorty George on her back and carry him around.
they are both right! look at that
[...] Last week’s answer Shorty Snowden and his partner Big Bea had a signature step where he would go back-to-back with her, lift her up and carry her off the floor. Sometimes she would carry him off. Frankie Manning and Frieda Washington were inspired by this move when they created the “Over the Back”. He described it as “she’s back to back with me and I flip her over my back and she lands on her feet in front of me. So we call it over-the-back because that’s the trajectory she takes. She comes over my back and lands in the front” (City Arts, “The Unncut Interview with Frankie Manning”) [...]