Frankie Manning Google Doodle honors man behind “Lindy Hop” swing dance moves

Today’s Google Doodle celebrates swing dancer Frankie Manning on what would have been his 102nd birthday.

Know as the Ambassador of the Lindy Hop, Manning took swing dancing to new levels by introducing a style of swing dance that involved spinning, flipping and tossing your dance partner in the air.

[blockquote cite = “Google Doodle Blog”]Today’s doodle by Nate Swinehart celebrates Frankie Manning’s acrobatic, powerful style, in which his partners were flipped and spun to the emphatic horns of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and others.[/blockquote]

Born in Harlem, Manning brought his style of swing dance to a number of 1940s films, including “Hellzapoppin” and “Hot Chocolate” (also known as “Cottontail”) with Duke Ellington. In 1989, he won a Tony Award for his choreography in the Broadway play “Black and Blue.”

According to the Google Doodle Blog, Manning served in WWII. After his time in the US Army, Manning put together a dance troupe — The Congaroos — that toured South America and the UK, eventually performing the Lindy for King George VI.

Here is the Frankie Manning doodle posted on Google’s home page today, in full animation:

The image leads to a search for “Frankie Manning” and includes a sharing icon to post the doodle on social networks.