The Track - E028 - Norma Miller

The Track with Ryan Swift

This month, I am joined by the Queen of Swing herself, Norma Miller. Growing up behind the famous Savoy Ballroom, she joined Whitey's Lindy Hoppers as a young teenager and has spent over 80 years in show business as a dancer, choreographer, comedian, and writer. She competed in the inaugural Harvest Moon Ball in 1935, performed on Broadway, in films like Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races, and around the world as a dancer and leader of the Norma Miller Dancers and Norma Miller's Jazzmen. She has performed along side a who's who of music, dance, and comedy legends, including Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Bill Robinson, and Redd Foxx.

Norma joined me at Uptown Swingout in Minneapolis to talk about dancing at the Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo Theater, and the 1939 World's Fair in New York City, traveling to Europe and Brazil as one of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, and performing on stage and screen. We also discussed standup comedy, her thoughts on dance and music, and her experience in the swing revival spreading Lindy Hop around the world.