Terry Monaghan
New Member
I’ve just received information from Yehoodi concerning “The Basie Centennial Ball” to be held on October 9th The stated aim is to celebrate the relationship of jazz music and dance, which thus begs the question that to make this real, why not celebrate the centennial of George “Shorty” Snowden at the same time? At the moment it looks as if the UK based Jiving Lindy Hoppers will be the only swing organisation to celebrate Snowden’s 100th anniversary this year. Surely this can’t be the case?
The JLH, with the “Back To Basie” Orchestra, have planned a major concert that will take place on Sunday July 5th - the day after Snowden’s actual birthday - in London’s “Queen Elizabeth Hall.” Needless to say we will commemorate the joint centenaries of Basie and Snowden at that event. I will be publishing a feature article on Snowden and his partner’s achievement (she rarely gets a mention) in launching this quintessential American dance form, which will be published in the dance press. Snowden was remembered last weekend at the third “Savoy Ball,” organised by Martin Ellis’s “Swingland” company, that was a featured event of the “London Lindy Exchange.” The packed enthusiastic character of this event will most likely by replicated at another JLH celebration in August, in which Glenn Miller’s one-hundredth will be celebrated with Snowden’s in conjunction with the UK Glenn Miller Orchestra as part of the Arundel Arts Festival.
We therefore appeal to the rest of the swing world to show more respect for the dance dimension of Swing, and to get “commemorating”! If we are going to forget the actual founding figures whilst keeping on dancing their steps, what does that say about us?
Terry Monaghan
Jiving Lindy Hoppers
The JLH, with the “Back To Basie” Orchestra, have planned a major concert that will take place on Sunday July 5th - the day after Snowden’s actual birthday - in London’s “Queen Elizabeth Hall.” Needless to say we will commemorate the joint centenaries of Basie and Snowden at that event. I will be publishing a feature article on Snowden and his partner’s achievement (she rarely gets a mention) in launching this quintessential American dance form, which will be published in the dance press. Snowden was remembered last weekend at the third “Savoy Ball,” organised by Martin Ellis’s “Swingland” company, that was a featured event of the “London Lindy Exchange.” The packed enthusiastic character of this event will most likely by replicated at another JLH celebration in August, in which Glenn Miller’s one-hundredth will be celebrated with Snowden’s in conjunction with the UK Glenn Miller Orchestra as part of the Arundel Arts Festival.
We therefore appeal to the rest of the swing world to show more respect for the dance dimension of Swing, and to get “commemorating”! If we are going to forget the actual founding figures whilst keeping on dancing their steps, what does that say about us?
Terry Monaghan
Jiving Lindy Hoppers
