Frankie manning's Shim sham review
We hope that you enjoyed your time learning one of the most commonly performed dances in the entire Swing dance lexicon. Below you will find video, links to videos and texts that will reinforce what you already know and help continue your Shim Sham education.
You can practice what you learned in Shim Sham class, and what you glean from the links below, every Friday at Swingin’ at the Mint Tavern at 10:00pm, directly following our Birthday/Out-of-Towner jam!
You can practice what you learned in Shim Sham class, and what you glean from the links below, every Friday at Swingin’ at the Mint Tavern at 10:00pm, directly following our Birthday/Out-of-Towner jam!
Frankie manning's shim sham
While the Shim Sham was originally a tap dance, choreographed by Leonard Reed & Willie Bryant, Frankie Manning is the person most responsible for the group dance’s world-wide presence. Manning, perhaps the most well-known Lindy hopper of all time, adapted the Shim Sham for non-tap dancers version and this dance was included in the first round of VHS instructional videos that he created with Tamara & Erin Stevens (Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association) in the late 1980s. Enjoy the video of him and Erin from the aforementioned instructional tapes.
The short story of the shim sham
This short, but informative, article provides a quick history on the Shim Sham.
A 7-part Shim Sham breakdown!
This links you to a YouTube playlist of 7 videos created by Patrick Smith & Natasha Ouimet. The 7 videos break down the Shim Sham steps in a structured and orderly fashion. Patrick and Natasha have quite a few different instructional playlists for the various Swing group dances, so if you enjoy this, a quick perusal of their YouTube page will reveal a whole new world of dances for you to explore.
Shim Sham Songs
Here you will find a playlist of Shim Sham songs. Tradionally, the dance is performed to “Tuxedo Junction,” often by Erskine Hawkins. Here at SwingDanceVegas, we most often perform the dance to “T’aint What You Do” by Jimmie Lunceford. Another great version is “The Shim Sham Song,” by the Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra, one of the best Swing bands of the 1990s, and while a little faster, and was created to specifically accent the dance.
Shim SHam Variations
Over time, the Shim Sham became popular enough that dancers could put their own unique style or even choreography onto the dance. Below is a compilation of 9 clips featuring vintage and modern Shim Shammers and showcases how individual this group dance can be!