Norma Miller

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Norma Miller
Norma Miller (2009).
Born(1919-12-02)December 2, 1919
DiedMay 5, 2019(2019-05-05) (aged 99)
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer, comedian, writer, actress, singer, songwriter, creative director
Years active1937–2019

Norma Miller (December 2, 1919 – May 5, 2019) was an American Lindy hop dancer known as the "Queen of Swing".[1]

Career[change | change source]

From 1952 to 1968, Miller directed the Norma Miller Dancers and Norma Miller and Her Jazzmen, both of which included Frankie Manning's son Charles "Chazz" Young as well as her long-time partner Billy Ricker.

Miller wrote several books, including Me & John Biffar: A Love Story, which chronicles her friendship with filmmaker John Biffar. Another work, Swing, Baby Swing! follows the evolution of swing dance into the 21st century. Swingin' at the Savoy: The Memoir of a Jazz Dancer was her autobiography.

In 2003, Miller was honored with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts for creating and continuing to preserve “the acrobatic style of swing dancing known as the Lindy Hop”.[2]

Miller died at her home in Fort Myers, Florida from heart failure on May 5, 2019 at the age of 99.[3]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Norma Miller: National Visionary". www.visionaryproject.org. National Leadership Visionary Project. 2013. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  2. "NEA National Heritage Fellowships: Norma Miller". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  3. "Norma Miller Queen of Swing Official".

Other websites[change | change source]