“That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their INNER eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality.”
― Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

The Black Lindy Hoppers Fund (BLHF) and Collective Voices for Change (CVFC) share a respect, love and concern for the future of Lindy Hop and Jazz dance.

A central feature of the work before us, as members and supporters of the Jazz Dance community, is to reconsider the narrative we have accepted about the life story of Lindy Hop. Many of us learned a version of history wherein this dance was cast aside out of disinterest, only to be rescued from the rubbish pile by beneficent members of an outside culture and community whom we now consider most knowledgeable, and best suited to share it. With that in mind, we ask have you met Ms. Amaniyea Payne, Ms. Mickey Davidson or Ms. Darlene Gist, all of whom danced throughout the 80’s with Norma Miller, prior to the “revival” to which many of us attribute our knowledge and existence?

These women are bearers of the ancestral inheritance to which we owe our origin. Their lives bridge the divide between the years when the innovators and founders of Jazz lived and worked, and today’s dance community where, in the absence of those living touchstones, we are in danger of a complete, and devastating cultural erasure.

From training with Mable Lee and Mama Lou Parks, to performing with Harold Nicholas, the careers of each woman has had its own distinct path. On Saturday, February 27th at noon EST, we will welcome these key figures in the Jazz Dance continuum to this collaborative event offered by BLHF and CVFC. This opportunity to begin building a relationship with them will offer us a roadmap for both the how and the why of what we do. Join us.