In 1982, Richard Yarde assembled together the installation he had created of the Savoy Ballroom bandstand and dance floor, which toured from Massachusetts, through San Diego and Baltimore and finally finished up at the old "Studio Museum of Harlem" in the fall of that year. Along with various water colours he had painted of the Savoy, the exhibition aroused a great deal of interest possibly because of the extraordinary amount of research that Yarde had completed to get the feel of the installation "right". When it reached Harlem all this work bore fruit, as the word soon went round that some amazing artist who had never been to the Savoy had managed to create an uncanny likeness that was stirring up a great deal of memories. A great number of old Lindy Hoppers, former Savoy Staff, musicians who had played there and just ordinary punters who had never fallen out of love with the ballroom flocked to the Studio Museum. Former Savoy Lindy Hoppers had no difficulty in recognising the identities of the cut-outs of the dancing figures in the installation, many discussions took place, old relationships were renewed and even a very shaky Big Apple was danced for a visiting TV crew by Sonny Allen, Sandra Gibson, Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Al Minns and Sugar Sullivan. There is little doubt this exhibition played a major role in fanning the flames of new interest in the Savoy whose embers had been kept glowing by a faithful few since the ballroom closed in 1958. The exhibition was a fortunate coincidence for instance for Norma Miller who had arrived back in New York just before the exhibition intending to write a book about her experiences at the Savoy. It was exactly the right time to pick up old threads. Her book was finally published in 1996.

Richard Yardes Savoy Ballroom 1982 Installation at the Studio Theatre Museum of Harlem

After Harlem the exhibition went on to France where it met with further acclaim, but apparently is now in storage somewhere in quite a sorry state, but hopefully before long it will be brought back to life. In the meantime six of Richard Yarde's most notable water colours have now been re-produced as posters and are available for sale from the Sandra Cameron Dance Centre in New York. Other sales will be available soon and we will keep you informed.

Richard Yarde teaches art in Amhurst and has an enormous list of awards and exhibitions to his name. It is extremely fortunate that this subject area has attracted his attention.