Dancing Classrooms Lindy Hoppers at Edison Ballroom, May 23, 2014, Honoring Frankie Manning’s 100th Birthday and Dawn Hampton
The opening performance at the Savoy Ball honoring Frankie Manning’s 100th Birthday was presented by teenaged Lindy Hoppers from Dancing Classrooms, NYC: Carlian White, Christian Lee, Dionissia Skountzos, Elaine Tanel, Emmanuel Miller, Jurlan Faisal, Lauren Bryant, Paul Ramnauth , Quincy Blair, R’kel Hood, Sara Cheah,Taylor Anderson, Tiffanie Roye, Vivian Cheng. These sixth and seventh graders are students at the Dancing Classrooms Weekend Academy, directed by Chris Gasti, Akemi Kinukawa, Choreography. After their performance, the teenagers joined in dancing with the older guests at the ball. Parents of dancers were guests of the Ball.
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Dancing Classrooms Lindy Hoppers at Frankie’s Centennial Savoy Ball-2014
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Dancing Classrooms Lindy Hoppers at Frankie’s Centennial Savoy Ball-2014-Social Dancing
Featured in the film documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, Dancing Classrooms is a 10-week – 20 session social development program for 5th and 8th grade children. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Dancing Classrooms currently serves more than 42,000 students each year in over 30 cities, including 25,000 in New York City alone.
Frankie Manning had a close association with Dancing Classrooms. Frankie provided choreography for the American Ballroom Dance Theatre, founded by Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau, which evolved into Dancing Classrooms.
Yvonne was instrumental in the planning, design, and installation of the Savoy Plaque in Harlem, with Jun Murata. Her diplomacy and persistence persuaded city officials and property owners to agree to the plaque and she arranged for its design and financing. Without her and Jun Murata’s leadership, there would be no Savoy Plaque. Proceeds from Frankie 85 were donated to help fund the plaque.
Frankie and Yvonne at Plaque Dedication in 2002 
Pierre Dulaine and Norma Miller at 2002 Dedication
Frankie and Alan Sugarman at 2002 Dedication