Commitment to the Elders

At its core, the International Lindy Hop Championships exist to honor the legacy of the dancers who created Lindy Hop. Many of the elders have passed away, but this organization is shaped by the conversations they had with Tena Morales-Armstrong and Sylvia Sykes.

We’ve promised our elders that we would help preserve the essence of Lindy Hop, and through ILHC, we hope to do just that.

In 2011, at a panel discussion in Seattle, Norma Miller let the White people in the room have it. Tena remembers how she spoke with feeling about White people stealing the dance, not paying it on or teaching it to Black kids.

Tena approached Norma after the panel to share her plans to address this disparity. “I told her that we would start an official youth program at ILHC. And one of the goals would be to bring in kids from disadvantaged neighborhoods and have them learn Lindy Hop.

“I told her that I felt it was incumbent upon the Black Lindy hoppers to pass this on to other Blacks. I promised her that I would do what I could to make that happen,” Tena remembers.

And in August of that year, the official youth program at ILHC began.

Later, in Houston, Norma told Tena again how much she loved the idea of getting more Black dancers involved in the dance. “Again I promised her that I would always do my best to make sure that happens,” Tena says.

In Norma’s final days, Tena was able to speak with her one more time. “I was able to tell her I loved her and how much she meant to me. I told her I will remember all the things she told me to do and what she wanted to see,” Tena says. “She kept telling me she would be there in December and she would see me then!”

Norma passed away in May 2019, months before the 100th birthday party planned for her at ILHC. But the event was full of her presence. Many of the Norma Miller dancers told Tena they could feel Norma’s spirit there that weekend. They felt she was happy, and would have been over the moon with the museum displays.

“I truly believe she was there,” Tena says, “and was very proud of what we created at ILHC for her birthday.”

Sylvia remembers a time when she and Frankie Manning watched a sea of people dancing without swing outs. “What is it like for you, watching your life’s work today?” she asked.

Though the dancing was unskilled, Frankie had no critique to offer. “It makes me happy to see everyone out there smiling,” he said.

In April of 2009, Tena was in New York City organizing Frankie 95, the festival planned in honor of Frankie’s 95th birthday. While she was there, less than a month before his birthday, Frankie went into the hospital for the last time. A few days later, Tena had to fly back to Houston.

But Frankie didn’t get better.

As the end approached, Elliot Donnelley called Tena. “It’s time,” he said, and he put the phone up to Frankie’s ear so she could say goodbye.

“I thanked him for being such a light and inspiration in my life,” Tena says. She promised Frankie she would make sure he was always remembered. “And [I] told him I loved him.”

Tena met Sugar Sullivan when Sugar led a workshop in Atlanta. She traveled there specifically to meet her, hoping Sugar would attend Lindyfest so people in Texas could get to know who she was.

Sugar was surprised to see Tena. “We had a long discussion about the fact that everywhere she goes she doesn’t see black Lindy Hoppers,” Tena remembers.

Tena understood what Sugar meant. At that time, Tena could travel far outside of Texas to dance Lindy Hop, and more often than not she would be the only Black person present.

But in Houston, ten to fifteen Black people were attending Lindyfest. “That was a LOT back then,” Tena says, and she encouraged Sugar to see for herself, telling her, “If you come to Houston, you will see more Black Lindy Hoppers than you will anywhere else in the country.”

“When she came, she was absolutely astonished,” Tena remembers. Sugar loved it and said she would love to see more.

For Tena, that was a call to action. “My promise to her was that I would keep the legacy of the Savoy Lindy Hoppers alive, and that I would do my best to incorporate Black Lindy Hoppers into the scene.”

In the early eighties, 1982 or 1983, swing dance teachers and promoters met in Los Angeles to codify Lindy Hop. There was much debate—or perhaps more accurately, much argument—over which moves they should consider the “Ten Basic Moves” of swing.

Midway through, Dean Collins leaned over to Syliva. “When I’m gone, you need to fight against all this,” he told her.

Since then, Sylvia has judged innumerable competitions, including ILHC and the US Open, always with Dean’s words in mind. At times, though she’s considered stepping down from some of her judging roles, she’s chosen to continue judging in order to honor Dean’s vision for the dance.

“I have attempted to keep that promise to keep codification out of our scene,” she says.

Over the years, Tena, Sylvia, and the leadership of ILHC have made many promises to those who gave us this dance. In everything we do, we hope to honor them and preserve the spirit of Lindy Hop.

As Tena says,“The swing dance museum, the youth program, and the very competitions themselves are some of the fruits of the promises made to our elders.”