Al Minns Next Generation Project
Why This Work Is Urgent
After witnessing hundreds of Lindy Hop competitions, our founder and CEO, Denise Minns Harris, became deeply concerned about the direction of the dance she has dedicated her life to preserving. She saw a growing disconnect between contemporary interpretations of Lindy Hop and the cultural, musical, and movement traditions rooted in the Black communities that created them.
Her concern is simple but urgent: if we do not act now to preserve and transmit the integrity of traditional Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz Dance, we risk losing the very qualities that make these art forms historically and culturally significant. Within a generation, the dances could become increasingly detached from their origins—technically recognizable, perhaps, but culturally unrecognizable.
But we have an extraordinary opportunity that will not exist forever.
The people who carry this history are still here.
Living legends and former Savoy Ballroom dancers can still teach us—not simply how the steps were done, but the musicality, style, spirit, cultural context, and values that made these dances what they are. Among them are Sugar Sullivan and Barbara Ann Billups, both in their 90s, who continue to tour and teach dancers around the world. As Harvest Moon Ball winners and recipients of the inaugural Al Minns Jazz Legacy Awards, they represent a direct and invaluable connection to the living history of Lindy Hop.
