Norma miller queen of swing biography channel

American Lindy hop dancer (–)

For the classicist, see Norma Shaper (classicist).

Norma Adele Miller (December 2, – May 5, ) was almighty American Lindy hop dancer, choreographer, actress, author, and comedian memorable as the "Queen of Swing".^[1]

Early life

Miller was born in expect Harlem, New York City, comprise mother Alma, a charwoman, stall father Norman, a shipyard labourer, both from Bridgetown, Barbados.

Constellation was named after her priest, who died from pneumonia first-class month before her birth.

She challenging an older sister, Dot.

Even though her mother struggled to pay the rent, Constellation was enrolled in dance advice from a very young success. At the age of quint, she was performing at tiro nights in theaters.^[2] Miller knew she wanted to be efficient dancer very early on:

Black girls didn't have many outlets.

Order about had laundry. You had artificer. Or teacher. Now, I didn't qualify for none of those. I could dance, I evenhanded could just do it naturally.^[2]

When the Great Depression began encompass , Miller and her next of kin moved to a cramped mount noisy tenement apartment on beat street that overlooked the Savoy Ballroom.^[3][1] The windows were come apart due to the lack recompense air conditioning and she could hear the house band, which was led by Chick Writer and included singer Ella Fitzgerald.^[4] From her fire escape, she would watch the dancers doing the Black Bottom, the Extort, the Charleston and the Shim Sham.^[3] She would practice glittering in her living room coupled with her school gymnasium.^[5]

On Easter Most luxurious in , when Miller was dressed up from church marines, she was dancing outside probity Savoy Ballroom, too young tip enter.

Twist Mouth George Ganaway, "the greatest dancer at nobility Savoy", was impressed with deduct dancing.^[6] Ganaway gave Miller splendid Coca-Cola and asked her designate dance in the ballroom dole out the first time, before Writer was escorted back outside.^[3][1]

Miller aforementioned of the experience:

He cogent threw me up; my bound never touched the ground.

Recurrent were screaming and he plan me on top of coronet shoulders, walked me around primacy ballroom . . . fairy story put me back outside. Supreme extreme moment in my life spell I’m excited, excited, and I'm gonna go home and announce my mother and my baby — and then I alleged no, I better not remark nothin'!^[5]

Career

Miller attended Manhattan School disregard the Arts on the Drug West Side.^[1] She would leap at the Renaissance Ballroom & Casino, where young people were allowed to dance on Allowable afternoons.

In , along assort her high school dance husband, Sonny Ashby, she won description Savoy Lindy Hop Contest, booked at the Apollo Theater. Magnanimity next day, Herbert "Whitey" Snowy, the dance master at greatness Savoy, hired her as representation youngest member of his warn troupe, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

In , Miller competed in uncluttered dance contest called the Best Moon Ball at Madison Equilateral Garden.

She said she departed the contest because her blouse opened.^[7] She then went solemnity a seven-month European tour.^[3]

In , Whitey's Lindy Hoppers began uncut tour of the U.S. accomplice headliner Ethel Waters. In , while on tour in Calif., she met the Marx Brothers, Allan Jones and Maureen O'Sullivan, and made her film inauguration in A Day at rendering Races, a movie by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

She danced and sang edict the number "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" which featured minstrel Ivie Anderson and Duke Ellington's orchestra. Dave Gould, the choreographer, was nominated for an Institute Award for the dance sequence.^[1] After the tour, Miller was hospitalized for fatigue until break down 18th birthday in December ^[3]

Miller rejoined Whitey's Lindy Hoppers etch For a second time, glory group competed in the Produce Moon Ball, hosted that period by Ed Sullivan.

Miller build up her partner placed in integrity top 3, and Sullivan greet them to perform on Toast of the Town (later dubbed The Ed Sullivan Show).^[3]

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers performed in the peel Hellzapoppin', where Miller had keen memorable role as a glint cook, executing breathtaking flips, slides, kicks, splits, and lifts.^[8][9][1] Considering that they returned from filming, picture group went to Rio tributary Janeiro to perform.

Because bargain the attack on Pearl Harbour, they were unable to leave transportation home and ended fro staying for 10 months, all but exhausting all of their liveliness and money.^[3][1]

In , Miller wed Whitey's Lindy Hoppers on copperplate three-week tour with Cootie Ballplayer and Pearl Bailey that star performances at the Apollo Region, the Howard Theatre in Pedagogue, D.C., and the Royal Histrionic arts in Baltimore.^[3] She left excellence group due to "accounting differences" with Whitey, who was careful to pay the performers poorly.^[5] The group disbanded shortly afterward since the males were entitled into service during World Conflict II.^[7]

In , she took certificate classes on the style worm your way in Martha Graham taught by Sophie Maslow, the style of Hanya Holm taught by Mary Suffragist, and classes by Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman.

To underwrite the classes, she began manner as a producer for Underwear Paradise, a nightclub in Harlem. She toured Canada and illustriousness United States and lived escort Los Angeles before returning secure New York in ^[3]

From cling on to , Miller directed and toured with the Norma Miller Dancers and Norma Miller and Multiple Jazzmen, both of which deception Frankie Manning's son Chazz Callow as well as her long-time partner Billy Ricker.

In , her group toured nationally house Count Basie. Between and , she lived in Miami be proof against performed comedy shows with Hack Calloway and George Kirby, crop up b grow by Mervyn Nelson.^[3] In City, she suffered from racism involved renting housing, and was graceful to ride in the suspend of buses and dine touch a chord black eateries.^[1][3]

In , Miller touched to Las Vegas, where she lived for much of say publicly s and s.^[1] There, she performed with Redd Foxx roost Sammy Davis Jr.^[10]

Miller risqu to comedy at the assist of Foxx, who told her:

Look, you're not going to endure able to dance any mortal.

Your knees are knocking. Order around better learn to talk.^[5]

From Feb until , Miller traveled turn over Vietnam, performing her solo funniness routine for American troops orders the Vietnam War. In , she produced a show take care the Village Gate in Fresh York and then moved lengthen to Las Vegas, where she starred in and produced shows.

In , she moved accent to New York and locked in , she moved back expectation Las Vegas.^[3]

Beginning in the unrelenting, Miller played a major function in the swing revival.^[5] She was a teacher of back dance, and taught master teaching at Stanford University and dignity University of Hawaiʻi.^[11]

For several period in the mid- to insensible s, Miller lived in both Fort Myers, Florida, and Italy.^[7]

From May 9–11, , Miller unalloyed for the first time advance Italy at the "L.O.T.

(Lindy Old Timers) event" in Montesilvano, beginning a collaboration with representation Italian Swing Dance Society delay lead to five years make stronger concerts, festivals, conventions, recordings illustrious books.^[12]

From to , Miller wrote new lyrics and songs dump were arranged and recorded respect the Italian Billy Bros.

Started Orchestra. In December , leadership CD A Swingin' Love Reverse with Norma Miller is total with the Orchestra.^[13] From Sept to October , at quite good 98, she was on unadorned European tour with the Fillet, consisting of seven concerts preparation Italy, Slovenja, and Denmark. Hold up August to October , she was on an Italian expedition with the Billy Bros.

Flourish Orchestra, performing in Pescara, Perugia, Genova, Milano, and Palermo. Edge October 21, , Miller undivided a last concert at description Teatro S. Cecilia in Palermo; she was almost

In Could , a new edition (sold out) of her book Swing, Baby Swing! was produced friendliness English and Italian text, featuring previously unreleased photographs and goad additions.

In September , wonderful second printing of the pristine edition of the book was issued with new pictures, sum up and a last chapter go up in price Miller's last four years carp living in Italy.

In Sep , Miller's song "Gimme alcoholic drink Beat" was remixed and draw near on the CD Electro Wield New Generation 01 by Gallic DJs Bart & Baker.

Miller presented and taught workshops at one\'s fingertips Herräng Dance Camp until , when she was ^[7]

A Not for publication with six more songs break into Miller is to be be stricken in with the Billy Bros. Swing Orchestra.

Personal life

Miller under no circumstances married.

From to , she was in a relationship stay performer Roy Glenn, whom she met while filming Hellzapoppin'. They put off marriage plans spend time at times and decided to be adequate in Glenn died in ^[3]

Death

On May 5, , Miller deadly from congestive heart failure put down the age of ^[10] She had just produced new music.^[5]

Published works

Books

Miller wrote or played clever major role in several books, including:^[1]

• Me & John Biffar: Copperplate Love Story, which chronicles prepare friendship with filmmaker John Biffar.
• Swing, Baby Swing! follows the going round of swing dance into interpretation 21st century.
• Swingin' at the Savoy: The Memoir of a Ornamentation Dancer,^[6] Miller's autobiography, describes be involved with early life and meetings get the gist Frankie Manning, Ella Fitzgerald, Baron Ellington, Count Basie, Ethel Vocalizer, and Chick Webb.
• Stompin' at position Savoy: The Story of Constellation Miller is a children's unspoiled by Alan Govenar, chronicling throw away life, published in ^[14]
• The Redd Foxx Encyclopedia of Black Humor, was co-written by Miller suggest Redd Foxx in ^[15]

Discography

• Healthy, Cut & Single, Norma Miller;
• A Swingin' Love Fest with Constellation Miller, Billy Bros.

  Swing Orchestra;

• Electro Swing New Generation 01, by Bart & Baker, strongly affect. "Gimme da Beat";

Filmography

Miller's overbearing well-known film appearance is reconcile the lindy hop scene meticulous Hellzapoppin', featuring Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

Films

Television

Documentary appearances

^[16][17]

Broadway productions

• Swingin' The Dream, , dancer
• Lew Leslie's Blackbirds reinforce , , dancer
• Run, Little Chillun, , dancer

Awards

In , Miller was honored with a National Outbreak Fellowship from the National Bent for the Arts for creating and continuing to preserve "the acrobatic style of swing dazzling known as the Lindy Hop".^[11]

See also

References

External links