CONTEXT

Pepsi Bethel of Whiteys Lindy Hoppers with the Jiving Lindy Hoppers - from the left Russell Sargeant, Warren Heyes and Carolene Hinds.

The Savoy Ballroom didn't exist in a vacuum or as a kind of walled off institution that had nothing to do with its environment. It was situated at the centre of the original black Harlem community and sustained the function of being a major local social meeting point for this community for its duration. At the same time it also became a drop in centre for musicians from everywhere and top priority location for tourists and celebrity visitors from round the world to visit. In fact it meant many different things to many different types of people, whilst always remaining an integral part of the heartbeat of Harlem in its heyday. This section of the site will explore various background influences on the Savoy and some of the general dimensions of the Swing culture it was a part of. In particular this section reproduces the main history of the Savoy as written to celebrate the Ballroom's 25th anniversary in 1951.

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Frequently Asked Questions
1951 Savoy Story
Savoy Poems
"Preserve Our Culture"
Jive Talking