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Ssshhh,
It's a surprise for Norma Miller b-day!
December 2013:
We
Moved to Tampa, Florida Norma Miller's neck of the woods!
This is at her request for warmer weather and less travel
for her 94th, 95th and on birthday celebrations...
Also,
check out some of our guests & performers from
our last show at the Festival December 2010 below...
Email us if you want to perform at Norma's next Tribute
Show at SFBalFest@yahoo.com.
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Check
out what we did for Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball in 2010... |
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Norma
Miller (born 2 December 1919 in Harlem, New York) is an
American swing dancer known to many people as The Queen of Swing.
She was interviewed along with dance partner Frankie Manning
in
Ken Burns documentary Jazz. Discussing the early days of swing
dancing,
Norma describes the start of her dancing career at the Savoy
Ballroom
(which was just across street from where she lived) during the
early 30s in
Harlem. Discovered at the age of twelve by the Savoy Ballroom's
legendary
dancer Twistmouth George, Ms. Miller has been in show business
ever
since.
Miller was a member of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. The author of
several books, Norma Miller's Swing Baby Swing, chronicles the
evolution
of the swing dance culture into the 21st century. Norma Miller's
biography, Swingin' at the Savoy: A Memoir of a Jazz Dancer,
recollects her youthful encounters with Ella Fitzgerald, Count
Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Artie
Shaw, Ethel Waters, and other jazz musicians.
Miller was honored with a 2003 National Heritage Foundation
Fellowship from the National Endowments of the Arts for her
role in creating and continuing to preserve “the acrobatic
style swing dance, known as the Lindy Hop”.
In addition, Norma Miller has been featured performing in a
number of movies, including some of the most viewed vintage
movies by Lindy Hoppers and swing dancers worldwide: the Marx
Brothers' A Day at the Races (1937) and Hellzapoppin' (1941);
Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992); Stompin' at the Savoy (1992),
John Biffar's Captiva (1995), along with documentaries such
as the National Geographic's Jitterbug (1991) and the Smithsonian
Jazz series on NPR.
In the 1960s, Norma Miller began working with Redd Foxx at his
comedy club, a show at the Summit and later joined him on his
1970s television series Sanford and Son, serving as a stand
up comic, actor and choreographer. In Ken Burns's documentary
Jazz (2001), Norma's recollections provide a first-hand account
of the Harlem music and dance scene of the 1930s and '40s. They
co-wrote the book The Redd Foxx Encyclopedia of Black Humor.
Since her time at the Savoy Ballroom, Norma has also worked
on film and TV with the likes of Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby,
and Ella Fitzgerald.
Her latest documentary, Queen of Swing, narrated by Bill Cobbs,
takes an inside look at Norma Miller's influence in the globalization
of America's jazz culture and her and her fellow artists' role
in racial integration. The documentary features interviews with
Bill Cosby, Bill Cobbs, the late Frankie Manning, and the late
Leonard Reed. Norma now lives in Fort Myers, FL.
Choreographer and dancer in many plays and shows including Let
Me Off Uptown staring Doris Troy, Bobby Wade and Valerie Jackson;
Pigmeat Markham at Lincoln Theater; Harvest Moon Ball competition,
hosted by Ed Sullivan. Sullivan’s Toast of the Town Revue
at Lowe’s State Theater; Apollo Theatre; Howard Theater
in Washington, DC; Royal Theater in Baltimore, Maryland; With
Cootie Williamsand Pearl Bailey; Larry Shultz produced show
at Village Gate; Count Basie show; Murray Weingre and Benny
Davis’ Cotton Club Show (also staring Cab Calloway, Sallie
Blair, Lonnie Satin, and George Kirby and produced by Mervyn
Nelson) |
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Ray
Hirsch performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball at SF
Bal Swing Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
That's
Ray Hirsch with Judy Garland!
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Ray
Hirsch (San Francisco)
is another amazing Dance, Film star!
Lindy Hop & Collegiate Shag Old
Timer!
'Spunky' barely describes this youth from the heyday of swing!
This Legendary Lindy Hopper and 1930's-40's silver screen
featured dancer will dance, tap and talk his way into your
heart! (Ray
Hirsch pictured above dancing with Judy Garland & here
as Mickey Rooney plays drums.)
A
Few Films he is featured in are:
1939-Blondie Meets The Boss
1940-Mad Youth
1941-Buck Privates
just to name a few... |
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SF Swing U School Troupe was scheduled
to perform
at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball at SF Bal Swing Fest w/North
American Open Swing Championships. |
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SF
Swing U School troupe:
- Balboa
Bunch
We have performed at Fillmore Jazz Festival, Pride, Sundance
Saloon, and other venues/events!
Book us by emailing sfbalfest@yahoo.com or calling
415-305-8242.
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Hollywood
Hotshots performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball at
SF Bal Swing Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
The
Hollywood HotShots is a Performance and Entertainment Company.
Our Services include. Film, TV /Music Video's Corporate Non-Profit
/Fundraiser's Private Parties Weddings Bar Mitzvahs Holiday
Events |
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We have a mixed troupe of 'straight' and Gay performers for
all occasions!
We have performed at Fillmore Jazz Festival, Pride, Sundance
Saloon, SF Gay & Lesbian Grand opening and annual party!
Book
us by emailing sfbalfest@yahoo.com or calling 415-305-8242.
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The
Swing Cats Rhythm Revue performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday
Ball at SF Bal Swing Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
They
are the San Francisco Bay Area's hot Swing dance performance
troupe! Founded by world-renowned instructors, Rob and Diane
van Haaren, the group specializes in Swing Era dances from
the 1920's to 1940's. The Swing Cats' repertoire includes:
classic jazz, flapper-girl Charleston's, crazy-legged Shag,
fast-paced Lindy Hop with heart-stopping aerials, and everything
else in between and beyond!
From its
beginning in 1998, the mission of the troupe has been to bring
Swing Era dances to audiences worldwide through performance
and instruction. At home in the San Francisco Bay Area, the
place many have dubbed the hub of the modern Swing Revival,
the Swing Cats have brought exhibitions and workshops to the
area's swing communities from Sacramento to Monterey. Beyond
their hometown, the Cats have been invited to perform at some
of the most prestigious swing gatherings in the world, such
as Camp Hollywood and Camp Catalina in Southern California,
and Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden.
Throughout
the life of the troupe, it has showcased some of the best
dancers in the Bay Area. The members have trained with the
very best in the world, and famed performers and choreographers
such as Norma Miller, Chester Whitmore, and members of The
Rhythm Hot Shots have all contributed to the choreographies
and stunts in the Swing Cats' repertoire. The troupe's focus
on rejuvenating the traditional swing dances such as Savoy-style
Lindy, Shag, and Charleston has made their repertoire unique
among groups in the swing landscape today. No other group
can offer such a breadth of swing knowledge and performance.
Their focus on precise execution and performance training
has won them the respect and admiration of those in swing
communities worldwide. Best of all, their focus on fun and
creating an enjoyable dance experience has made them one of
the most well received groups for audiences everywhere!
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Freeplay
Dance Crew performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball
at SF Bal Swing Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
They
are a volunteer company who's diversity reflects the
communities for which we perform and love. We are honored
and excited to be
gifting this performance to Ms. Norma Miller for best year
yet! Freeplay has
performed all over the Bay Area, from San Francisco street
festivals to
Great America, from the main stage at Pride to local elementary
schools. For
more info go to www.myspace.com/freeplay dance, find us on
Facebook or email
Director, Liz Angoff, at freeplaydancecrew@gmail.com or liz.angoff@gmail.com
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Double
or Nothing performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball at
SF Bal Swing Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
Founded in 2002, Double or Nothing is a performance group dedicated
to creativity in lindy-hop based swing dance. We perform throughout
the San Francisco Bay Area, and most of us can also be found
regularly on the social dance floor of the many local swing
dance venues each week. We write our own choreographies with
each member of Double or Nothing bringing a unique dance background
and perspective to the group. The resulting mix is intended
to maintain the many traditions of swing dance while constantly
striving to add modern elements. |
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The
Hot Bloods performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball
at SF Bal Swing Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
The
Hot Bloods are a dance team out of City College of San Francisco
under the direction of David Blood. Over the past three years
they have been trained in multiple choreographies by the lindy
champion and choreographer for Do You Think You Can Dance,
Carla Heiney, as well as Mikey Pedrosa, Nikki Marvin, Mike
Faltesek and others.
The Hot Bloods have performed at Reno Dance Sensation, Lindy
Central, The 9:20, Tuesday Night Jump, Lindy at Union Square,
The Rhythm Lounge, The Black Couture Ball, CCSF Dance Concerts
as well as for various charitable organizations in and around
the Bay Area. |
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Decadance
performed at Norma Miller's 91st Birthday Ball at SF Bal Swing
Fest w/North American Open Swing Championships.
Decadance
is a social dance performance group based at Stanford University
that strives to make traditional couple-dancing less traditional.
Our purpose is to be interesting and inspirational for all
types of audiences, and to make our audiences want to dance
as much as we do.
Collectively,
our dance experience includes competitive ballroom dancing,
ballet, modern, hip-hop and more, and our other performance
experiences range from martial arts to musical theater to
synchronized swimming. Our varied backgrounds help us to innovate,
hybridize, and expand the boundaries of "social"
dance. Together, we come up with some unexpected combinations
of dance styles and music genres (see our dances), and a whole
lot of fun for dancers and viewers alike!
We perform
in the Bay Area (see our calendar of performances), demonstrating
that dances such as waltz, swing, tango, cha-cha, etc. can
be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, to any music, and in any combination.
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