Frankie 100

I just came back from an extraordinary event, and I wish I better knew how to describe it. Words like awesome, joyful, awe-inspiring, brilliant, energetic, lovely, warm, swingin’, thoughtful and stellar combine to suggest something of what I experienced, but to be thorough I’d need to use more adjectives than you want to read. Honestly, Frankie 100 ranks as one of the most amazing events I can remember ever. The amazingness rests on meticulous and inspired organization, the reverent memory of a man who seemed to love everybody and elicited great love in return, and over 2,000 gregarious and talented dancers from around the world. The event, Frankie 100, celebrated the hundredth birthday of a man named Frankie Manning, who played a big role in the beginnings of the dance called Lindy hop and went on to play an even bigger role in its resurgence.

The organizers did a superb job. Most importantly, they nailed a few key points. First, they never let us forget the best aspects of Frankie’s character and encouraged us to treat each other by those same standards. Second, they gave us great dance music and an adequate dance floor. Third, they arranged lots of social and cultural activities for smaller groups outside of the main evening events. Beyond this, they filled in a host of administrative and logistical details so that attendees, even those with poor English skills, could focus on having a good time without fretting over how to do it.

In turn, the attendees came prepared to have a good time and to help their fellow dancers have an equally good time. I danced with quite a few extraordinary dancers, people with exceptional skills and expertise. Naturally, I learned from many of them. And in spite of any skill imbalance when I danced with teachers and performers, they shared the joy of dance and the pleasure of partnership. Sometimes I danced with beginners too, and took pleasure in the opportunity to experience the music and the dance in ways that they could follow. But I felt pretty fortunate there, that everybody in the room knew something about Lindy hop and I only met one or two complete beginners. It was a big event, and it drew a committed crowd.

Since I returned home, I’ve enjoyed seeing some of the chatter on the Frankie 100 Facebook page. Lots of others share my sense that we participated in something extraordinary, something never to be repeated in the same way. We will do other things to remember Frankie Manning and his legacy in the coming years, but I expect that future events will be more local. This year, however, we formed a global community of love and we’re going to remember it for the rest of our lives.

Photo by Tim Gee, used by permission

Frankie 100, first impressions

I took the Lucky Star bus from Boston to New York early this morning so I could spend the long weekend at a dance festival called Frankie 100. The bus ride took longer than I expected, since the cops investigated the company and made them begin driving at or near the speed limit. Checking in took a long time too, so I had a chance while waiting in line to chat with people from Australia, Russia and even Belarus. I spent all morning and early afternoon waiting for something or another, and finally had my registration materials and hotel room squared away in time to go down to the Alvin Ailey Theater for some dance lessons.

The dance teachers lined us up and paired us off, and then we rotated partners as we practiced. Most of my partners had names I'd never heard of, so I asked each where she was from. Almost every answer was unique, though I had more than one partner from France, Australia and America. But the internationality, really impresses me. I danced with people from almost all corners of the globe.

This evening's show at the Apollo Theater in Harlem was quite joyful too, and I ran into friends from Lithuania and got to know a delightful group of Swedes. I'm supposed to be dancing right now, but it's raining out so here I am. I have an errand at the Russian Embassy in the morning so I can't stay out late tonight anyway. Tomorrow will be another story.