Paulo Nutini new release pencil full of lead with Al Minns and Leon James dancing

Al Minns (1 January 1920 24 April 1985), was a prominent American Lindy Hop and jazz dancer. Most famous for his film and stage performances in the 1930s and 1940s with the Harlem-based Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Minns worked throughout his life to promote the dances that he and his cohorts helped to pioneer at New York's Savoy Ballroom.

Minns also played a part in the revival of Lindy Hop in the 1980s, when he was invited to Stockholm in 1984 by the The Rhythm Hot Shots dance company to teach the dance the way he knew it. The group had until then mainly used old film clips as a source for their interpretation of Lindy Hop.

In 1938, Al Minns and Sandra Gibson (see Mildred Pollard) won the Harvest Moon Ball.

Leon James, one of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, had one of the greatest on-stage personalities in Lindy Hopping. With his constantly moving legs and hands and his flashing eyes, everyone would always notice him first. His styling was a favorite of the ladies at the Savoy, who still like to remember the way he moved his hips.

Because of poor eyesight, Leon was one of the few of the original Lindy Hoppers who was not drafted into the service in World War II. He remained active as a dancer and stage personality until his death in the 1970's. He and fellow Lindy Hopper Al Minns developed a novelty act in which they danced together and charmed audiences with their playfulness and ingenuity. Together they served as informants to Marshall Stearns and his wife Jean when they were writing the classic book, Jazz Dance. It seems that the playful pair had a lot of fun at the expense of the Stearnses and of posterity. Their fanciful ideas of gangs at the Savoy and other uptown drama are regarded as fact by many who have read the book. To their defense, none of the Lindy Hoppers of that time, including Norma Miller and Frankie Manning, had any sense that they were making history. To Leon and Al, a good time at the moment seemed to be what mattered most.

Category:

Music

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• Al
• Minns
• and
• Leon
• James
• lindy
• hop
• snakehips
• jazz
• vintage
• camel
• walk
• dance
• history
• of
• jigwalk
• 1920's
• 1961
• craze
• charlston
• paulo
• nutini
• pencil
• full
• lead
• rewind
• black
• white
• old
• footage
• early
• grain
• edit
• contest
• t.v

[Rossettifan]

This is fantastic!! Gonna check out more lindy-hoppers now. Many thanks.

[locaperdida1]

Love the music. Love the dancing. Love it all. Besicos!!

[jazzmanzoot]

Seriously folks.

Now I know, from whom, the late Great, Max Wall, stole his Funny Walk routine.

Ficking Priceless !

Thanks for sharing.

[myztainzydeout]

Whats that video name at the start

[trart1709]

Hey man, could you tell me the name of this song?

i like it and i like your video.

If you don't mind I'll used it to try to learn something here in Rio de Janeiro.

If posible, send me this music.

[roblowefan1]

There gentlemen are incredible! Wow!

[dizzyred102]

This is the business!!

[shoedytang]

have to say mate a really good job you done here

[shoedytang]

this is a great job really well done and id say its my favorite song too

[shoedytang]

yo man this is brill you wanna check out my cover lets know what you think just new to uploading

[64Swing]

Brilliant - this is the real thing !

64swing

[SnowLashes]

Excellent thing you have done here. Groovy.