Millman, Cynthia R. 1954- (Cynthia Ruth Millman)

PERSONAL:

Born April 12, 1954. Education: New York University, B.A., 1978, M.A., 1981; Queen's College, M.L.S., 1992.

ADDRESSES:

E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Dancer, dance teacher, librarian, and writer. Learning through an Expanded Arts Program, artist-in-residence, 1980-84; Hunter College Campus Elementary School, New York, NY, creative movement teacher, 1981-82; West Side Montessori School, New York, NY, creative movement and drama teacher, 1983-87; Dalton School, New York, NY, First Program, movement teacher, 1982-88, assistant librarian, 1987-88, head librarian, 1988-95; Fieldston Outdoors, Bronx, NY, movement teacher, summers, 1983-94; Town School, New York, NY, head librarian, 1995—. Dancer with the Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company, 1976-80; Big Apple Lindy Hoppers, New York, NY, dancer, 1990-95, codirector, 1992-95; "The Lindy: A History," lecture/demonstration presented with Frankie Manning at schools and dance festivals in the U.S. and Europe, 1993—. Member of the board of directors for the New York Swing Dance Society, 1991-96.

Consultant for dance documentaries, including Swingin' with Duke (also choreographer), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS-TV); Four Steps to Heaven: Fad Dances of the 20th Century, Channel 4, British Broadcasting Company (BBC); Reel to Real for Kids, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; It's About Time, Prime Life Network; and Swinging at the Savoy: Frankie Manning's Story, Living Traditions. Curator of the exhibit "Swing Dance: Then to Now," New York Swing Dance Society and American Swing Dance Association, 1993-96. Former swing dance teacher and Jazzercize instructor.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Frankie Award for dedication to preserving the philosophy, dancing, and music of the 1930s to the 1950s, Boogie-Baeren Munich, 2008.

WRITINGS:

(With Frankie Manning) Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, Temple University Press (Philadelphia, PA), 2007.

Contributor to International Encyclopedia of Dance, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1998. Also contributor to periodicals, including West Side Spirit and Dance Magazine. Consultant for Swing Dancing (children's book), Capstone press, 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Librarian, dance teacher, and writer Cynthia R. Millman is the coauthor of legendary dance master Frankie Manning's autobiography Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Manning, according to an interview with Millman published on the Swing, Jazz and Blues—Dance to the Music Web site, "was one of the main creators of the Lindy hop at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom during the 1930s. His choreographic innovations, especially the air step and synchronized ensemble routines, helped catapult the Lindy from ballroom to stage and screen. Frankie's choreography for and performances as a lead dancer with Whitey's Lindy Hoppers helped popularize the Lindy and disseminate it across America and around the world." The autobiography, which is based on over a decade of interviews Millman conducted with Manning, chronicles an important part of African American history and culture and sheds light on the experience of ordinary black Americans and black dancers in mid-twentieth century Hollywood.

During his time at the Savoy and with Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Manning associated closely with music greats like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, and Count Basie. Throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s he helped bring the Lindy to a wider audience with his performances at the Cotton Club, on Broadway, and in films, including Hellzapoppin' (1941). "It's refreshing to have a new perspective, a dancer's perspective, on the entertainment industry during the 1930s-1950s," Henrik Erikkson wrote on the Swing, Jazz and Blues—Dance to the Music Web site. "You get the insider story about what went on behind the scenes in the filming of Hellzapoppin'. You'll get the stories about preparing for the performances on stage and the tours with the dance groups Whitey's Lindy Hoppers and The Congaroos." In his conversations with Millman, Manning also "discusses the racism he faced in the U.S. Army during World War II and while on tour," Barbara Kundanis declared in Library Journal.

Manning returned to dance in the 1980s after a decades-long absence, when a revival of interest in swing music and dance brought the Lindy hop back to public attention. "After a long hiatus," Manning returned to dance and to Hollywood, stated a Publishers Weekly reviewer, where he became a "consultant for Spike Lee's Malcolm and coached a new generation of dancers." He also received a Tony Award in 1989 for his work as choreographer on the Broadway hit Black and Blue. "An inspiration to us all," Millman concluded in her Swing, Jazz and Blues—Dance to the Music Web site interview, "Frankie is as beloved for his marvelous personality as he is for his vital role in American dance history."

Millman told CA: "My interest in writing developed when I became enthralled with swing dancing during the mid-1980s and wanted to let people know about the burgeoning social dance scene in NYC. The fact that I had to do a lot of writing in the late 1980s while earning my master's degree in library science also helped get the gears going. I wrote an article about swing dancing for a local newspaper, then did a master's thesis project on the Lindy hop. One thing led to another: I contributed several articles to Dance Magazine and to The International Encyclopedia of Dance. For many of these projects, I interviewed original Savoy Lindy hopper Frankie Manning. The impetus for Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop came from hearing this extraordinary person share his memories of the swing era. He was such a mesmerizing raconteur that I thought a book about his life would be interesting, not to mention historically valuable. While I have come to enjoy solving the particular challenges associated with writing articles, press releases, this book, or other formats, for me it's all about sharing something with people.

"Whether fiction or nonfiction, I enjoy books that give lots of information, but also tell a story. I'm very drawn to historical accounts that interweave people and events to bring history to life. In terms of actual writing, I admire a certain style that can best be described as smooth, in which one word flows into the next, drawing the reader along. Wanting to do right by Frankie, to present his life in a way that would honor and please him, while hopefully engaging the reader, influenced me every step of the way.

"I'm impressed by writers who work at the same time every day, but was not able to sustain that kind of schedule during the decade-plus it took to write Frankie's autobiography. Part of the reason for this is that I work fulltime as a school librarian, so weekdays during the school year are full, and very different from weekends and summers. Also, because the book involved doing a lot of interviews, conducting research, and communicating with people around the world via phone and e-mail, the tasks involved were quite varied and sometimes had to be adjusted to different time zones. However, I noticed that if I began writing early in the morning I often connected to the material better than if I got a later start, and was thus able to work for a longer stint. On the advice of others, I tried to do some writing even on days when I didn't feel like it.

"In general, I worked from the barest of outlines, filling in as I progressed and adjusting course as needed. When attacking a particular section, I would surround myself with all of the transcripts from relevant interviews with Frankie and others, along with research notes, historical sources, style guides, and reference books. Then I would piece the chapter together. I allowed myself to write horrible first drafts, which were then edited extensively in collaboration with Frankie.

"I was surprised to learn how much work it is to write a book! Books are constructed word by word. Every paragraph and chapter seemed to take longer than I expected. Once the manuscript took shape, a complex operation ensued that involved collaborating with our editor, copy editor, indexer, various readers and advisors, and the publisher's production manager; selecting and obtaining permissions for the photographs; participating in the publicity and sales campaign; and attending to seemingly endless related details and tasks. One day I walked into the library where I work and wondered how in the heck these 17,000 books had ever gotten written, never mind the millions in the world!

"Since this is the only book I've written so far, of course it's my favorite. However, even if I write others, which I hope to do, I'm sure this will always be the most special one to me because it was so wonderful to collaborate with Frankie Manning.

"Many people have told us that reading Frankie's autobiography was like being in a room listening to him speak—that we really captured his voice—and that they enjoyed the book so much they were sorry when it ended. That's exactly the effect Frankie and I hoped Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop would have on the reader. I would also be happy if our book influenced more people to write about the history of swing dancing."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Black Issues Book Review, May 1, 2007, Clarence V. Reynolds, review of Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop.

Library Journal, April 1, 2007, Barbara Kundanis, review of Frankie Manning, p. 94.

Publishers Weekly, March 26, 2007, review of Frankie Manning, p. 80.

ONLINE

FrankieManning.com,http://www.frankiemanning.com/ (August 21, 2008), author profile.

Hop to the Beat Dance Studio,http://www.hoptothebeat.com/ (August 21, 2008), author profile.

Swing, Jazz and Blues—Dance to the Music,http://swingjazzblues.blogspot.com/ (August 21, 2008), Henrik Eriksson, interview with Cynthia Millman, and review of Frankie Manning.

Temple University Press,http://www.temple.edu/ (August 21, 2008), author profile.