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, 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 Welcome 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 Welcome Jam!
Frankie manning's shim sham
Originally, the Shim Sham was a tap dance, choreographed by Leonard Reed & Willie Bryant in the late 1920s, while touring on the T.O.B.A. circuit.
However, for us Swing dancers, Frankie Manning, the most famous Lindy Hopper ever, is the person most responsible for the group dance’s world-wide presence. In his autobiography, Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, Frankie said that the Lindy dancers would often do a non-tap version at the Savoy Ballroom.
When Frankie Manning returned to the Swing dance world after 30 years as postman in the mid-1980s, he brought back with him the version him and the other Savoy dancers performed. In the late 1980s, Frankie included this version on his first set of instructional VHS tapes, created with Tamara & Erin Stevens of the Southern California-based, Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association.
Enjoy the video above of Frankie and Erin Stevens from those seminal instructional tapes.
However, for us Swing dancers, Frankie Manning, the most famous Lindy Hopper ever, is the person most responsible for the group dance’s world-wide presence. In his autobiography, Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, Frankie said that the Lindy dancers would often do a non-tap version at the Savoy Ballroom.
When Frankie Manning returned to the Swing dance world after 30 years as postman in the mid-1980s, he brought back with him the version him and the other Savoy dancers performed. In the late 1980s, Frankie included this version on his first set of instructional VHS tapes, created with Tamara & Erin Stevens of the Southern California-based, Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association.
Enjoy the video above of Frankie and Erin Stevens from those seminal 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!
Here is a link to a YouTube playlist of 7 videos created by Patrick Smith & Natasha Ouimet. The seven 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.
An all-in-one breakdown!
Laura Glaess has become one of the best resources on YouTube for learning how to and the history of Lindy Hop. On top of producing great content, she is an outstanding solo & partner dancer. This is her full break down of the Shim Sham, and one that we highly recommend!
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 popular option is “The Shim Sham Song,” by the Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra, and while a little faster, it was orchestrated to specifically accent Frankie Manning's version.
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!
BUT WAIT...
While the Shim Sham in the modern, global Swing community is the one taught by Frankie Manning, there are other "Shim Sham's" out there. Most common among Swing dancers are the variation done by Frankie's counterparts on Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Al Minns and Leon James (called Al & Leon's Shim Sham); and, the variation created by the white Southern California based Lindy Hopper named Dean Collins (often called "Dean's Shim Sham").
We will eventually have sites for each of those variations, but for now, enjoy the videos below.
We will eventually have sites for each of those variations, but for now, enjoy the videos below.