If you’re a Lindy Hopper or a lover of the 1930’s/1940’s, you know the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. You know that it is the hallowed ground of swing dancers everywhere and the ‘Home of the Happy Feet’. All the greats played here AND danced here and anyone who was anyone passed thru it’s doors. It truly was a magical place, where your skin colour did not matter, only the music and the dance did.

Savoy Plaque on the grounds where the original dance hall stood.

The Savoy turned 98 years old this past March 12th, 2024 (updated blog post–And yes the hall no longer exists but it lives in the hearts of dancers) and for today’s post I wanted to bring to life this legendary ballroom. Whether you know it’s story already or just discovering it for the first time, reading and watching videos about the Savoy never gets old.

Please grab your dance shoes friends because we are off to 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets to visit the famous Savoy Ballroom.

savoy ballroom colour vintage image — Source: The Savoy King

Savoy Ballroom-Home of the Happy Feet

Brief History & Facts About The Savoy:

Owned by Moe Gale, a Jewish man, and managed by Charles Buchanan, an African-American business man, the Savoy Ballroom opened its doors on March 12, 1926 right in the middle of Harlem

It was the first racially integrated public place in the country

The Savoy was modeled after Faggen’s downtown venue, Roseland Ballroom

10,000 square feet in size, was on the second floor and a block long. It could hold up to 4,000 people

The interior was painted pink and the walls were mirrored.Colored lights danced on the sprung layered wood floor and it had 2 bandstands (which allowed continuous music all night long)

The spacious basement checkrooms could serve up to 5,000 patrons with swift and efficient ease

Approximately 700,000 patrons visited the ballroom annually; and, consequently, the floor had to be completely replaced every three years

Nicknames included: “Home of the Happy Feet”, and “The Track” because of the elongated dance floor

Over 250 name and semi-name bands were featured at the Savoy. Bands like: Chick Webb, Fess Williams, Erskin Hawkins and Al Cooper’s Savoy Sultans (who were just some of the house bands), Benny Goodman Orchestra, Count Basie and Duke Ellington (were some of the guest bands)

Lindy Hop made its appearance in the ballroom and became its staple dance until it closed it’s doors. Purportedly named after Charles Lindbergh’s solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927 it signifies the entire historical period known as the Swing Era

Herbert White, a.k.a. Whitey, an ex-boxer and bouncer at the Savoy, organized and cultivated a group of the best young Lindy Hoppers (and had them appear in theaters around the world as well as in films. They were called ‘Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers‘.

Lindy hop legend Frankie Manning noted that patrons were only judged on their dancing skills and not on the color of their skin

Part of the floor where the professional Lindy dancers ruled was on the 141st street side of the room and was then referred to as “the corner”. Only Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers could dance and work routines there. Dancers today know it as the “Cat’s Corner”.

It is estimated that the ballroom generated $250,000 in annual profit in its peak years from the late 1920’s to the 1940’s

“Stompin’ at the Savoy”, a 1934 Big Band classic song and jazz standard recorded by Chick Webb, was named after the ballroom

The Savoy closed permanently October, 1958 and was turned into a housing complex now called the “Savoy Park”.
Sources: Savoy Plague.org and Wikipedia

Vintage Images of the Ballroom:

Another image of the Savoy from the outside. I love the Lunchonette sign on the corner too.

Vintage Photo of the Savoy ballroom Harlem from the outside — Source: The Savoy King

The Savoy exterior vintage images of harlem — Source: The Savoy King

Who wants to attend Thursday’s Ladies Night at the Savoy?

1930s / 1940s vintage photo of the Savoy Ballroom sign with a bunch of people below it.

Vintage postcard of the interior of the Savoy.

Vintage Postcard of the Savoy Ballroom interior in Harlem New York. — Source: Flemingsbond.com

The Famous Dance Floor.

The Dancing aka THE LINDY HOP! -The Vintage Photos-

Vintage Photo of Lindy dancers at the savoy ballroom — Source: The Savoy King

A packed Lindy Hop dance floor in the 1940s.

1940s vintage photo of Lindy Hoppers dancing at the savoy ballroom in Harlem, New York — Source: The Savoy King

You could not help but smile when you were dancing at the Savoy, just look how much fun everyone is having?!

1940s vintage photo of lindy hoppers at the Savoy Ballroom with white and Black dancers watching off to the side. — Source: The Savoy King

These photos were not taken at the Savoy but here is the famous Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers dancing somewhere in NYC in their jackets.

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers jackets nyc vintage image — Source: New York Public Library

The Vintage Advertisements

“Every Saturday Nite, see a Sensational Lindy Hop Contest! Colored & White Teams. Featuring the country’s BEST Lindy Hop teams competing for fame and fortune”.

1930s / 1940s vintage advertisement for the Lindy Hop contest at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, New York — Source: Dogpossum.org

Sunday December 5th, 1937….”The Return of the King of the Drums…CHICK WEBB and his Savoy Swing Orchestra”! Gosh what a party that would of been.

1930s vintage advertisements for chick webb performing at the Savoy Ballroom in 1937. — Source: The Savoy King

1930s News Ad for the Savoy Ballroom starting it’s regular season in New York.

Battle of the Big Bands (this was a regular feature at the Savoy)

Two of the most famous battles involved Chick Webb & The Benny Goodman Orchestra (May 11th, 1937) and Chick Webb vs Count Basie w/ Billie Holiday & Ella Fitzgerald (January 16th, 1938). Chick Webb won both times in the battles making him the ‘King of Swing’!

Benny Goodman vs Chick Webb vintage 1930s poster / vintage ad for the famous Battle of the Bands at the Savoy Ballroom.

Chick vs Basie the Breakdown:

Count Basie vrs Chic Webb at the Savoy Ballroom vintage poster

Battle of the Bands at the Savoy Ballroom Chick Webb vs Count Basie — Source: Swing Music.net

Truck on Down for a Battle of the Bands with not 2 but 4 Bands! Who will you pick?

Savoy Ballroom Battle of the Bands vintage poster — Source: Dogpossum.org

Super Cool Tidbit:

Did you know that in Ian Fleming’s James Bond book ‘Live and Let Die’, Bond visits Harlem and the Savoy?

By the time they left the restaurant it was ten-thirty and the Avenue was almost deserted. They took a cab to the Savoy Ballroom, had a Scotch-and-soda, and watched the dancers.

Most modern dances were invented here,’ said Leiter. ‘That’s how good it is. The Lindy Hop, Truckin’, the Susie Q, the Shag. All started on that floor. Every big American band you’ve ever heard of is proud that it once played here – Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Galloway, Noble Sissle, Fletcher Henderson. It’s the Mecca of jazz and jive.’

They had a table near the rail round the huge floor. Bond was spellbound. He found many of the girls very beautiful. The music hammered its way into his pulse until he almost forgot what he was there for (Source).

Before I close I will leave you with a photo of my husband and I recreating a famous Lindy Hop move in front of the plaque (this is tradition for all dancers).

I sure hope you enjoyed this visit to the Savoy Ballroom friends and don’t be afraid to share this post to help spread the word about the greatest ballroom on the planet!

FURTHER READING: Collection of Vintage Blog Posts on Swing Dance & The Big Band Era

Liz

There is a little town 2 hours SW of Toronto called Port Dover, known for their famous ‘Friday the 13th’ Biker get together. However between 1921 and 1979 Port Dover had a Dance Hall that people made the trek to Dover every summer for….Summer Garden was its name.

Today’s post is for the Blog Series I started in 2013 from a book I read called “Let’s Dance: A Celebration of Ontario’s Dance Halls and Summer Dance Pavilions” by Peter Young.

Port Dover Summer Garden 1920s vintage photo

Summer Garden Dance Hall

The History & Vintage Photos

Summer Garden Dance Hall # 1

Summer Garden was actually 3 halls overs the years. The first one was built-in 1921 (June 18th) by Ben Ivey and named by his mother (the opening night band was a 12-piece singing syncopated group from Detroit-Charles Cody). Erected on series of wooden supports which had been sunk many feet into the sand below the water (as seen in above image), it was unfortunately demolished by a huge storm (the storm took out its legs) in the winter of 1929 (source).

Vintage Postcard for the Summner Garden Dance Hall in Port Dover Ontario

Source: delcampe.net

I wish the below image was able to be larger, as it shows a lovely couple Ellen and Fred on a beach in Port Dover 1923 with the first Summer Garden in the background.

1920s vintage photo of a man and woman in 1920s fashions, Ellen and Fred on beach, Port Dover August, 1923 with the Summer Garden Dance Hall in the background. — Source: Archives of Ontario

Summer Garden Dance Hall # 2

Summer Garden # 2 opened for business by Ben again in May 1929 (Featuring Emerson Gill on opening night) and was wisely located further up the beach. Built in 19 days by volunteers it lasted 3 years before it was burnt to the ground while the townspeople stood by and cried (source).

Vintage Photo of the Summer Gardens Dance Hall # 2 in Port Dover, Ontario Canada. Vintage Dance Hall.

Here is a song by Emerson Gill I imagine was played on opening night.

Summer Garden Dance Hall # 3

Not letting any of this get Ben down he stood tall and erected Summer Garden # 3, on May 24th 1932.

Don Ivey – “Pop”

In 1936 Ben passed the management torch to his son Don, who would go onto become somewhat of celebrity to those who visited the Garden. He was known for managing the ballroom with Ivey League class — wearing a white suit and ever-present red rose and everyone called him ‘Pop’ (source).

Vintage Photo of Don Ivey manager of the Summer Gardens dance hall in Port Dover, Ontario Canada — Source: Lets Dance by Peter Young

With high energy and an octagonal dance floor, it was the place to go to get down. If you couldn’t afford the cover charge, the walls of the dance hall were so thin, you could stand on the beach and take in the concert (source).

A favorite of Servicemen during WW2 stationed at nearby flying schools, dancers travelled far and wide for a day at the beach and night of dancing. Bands in the 1940s included Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa.

Port Dover Summer Gardens Big Band Poster — Source: Lets Dance by Peter Young

There is a great quote in Peter Young’s book from Margo Kerber who went to Gardens during the 1940s.

“We’d take the trolley in Galt for a weekend in Port Dover and the Friday and Saturday night dances. You couldn’t wait to get back the next weekend. One of my friends is happily married to the boy she met then in Dover”.

Dance of the Roses

The Famous ‘Dance of the Roses’ was a dance that became Don’s baby and the highlight of the summer dance season. With the walls covered in roses and the best big bands playing the night, it was the “Biggest Dance Affair in Port Dover“.

1950s and on…

1950s and on, saw bands like Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks, Guess Who and Lighthouse play the venue, all who speak with great fondness of the venue.

NOTE: A reader said this image is mislabeled (not my image or my text). He said, “Robbie Lane and the Disciples is a Canadian Group but shown at the Summer Gardens it’s Ronnie Hawkins. The Drums are Labelled The Del Tones also a Canadian Group who became The Beau Marks. My guess is The Band and The Del Tones were backing Ronnie Hawkins.“

vintage photo of Don Ivey at the Summer Garden Dance Hall Port Dover, Ontario Canada — Note: Don Ivey is to the Left in this picture in the White. Source: oocities.org

1969-1972 Summer Gardens.

Summer Garden Guy Lombardo and Lighthouse - Port Dover ontario canada — Source: PBase

The End of the Summer Gardens

January 8th, 1979 the fun ended as the Summer Gardens was torched by an arsonist and once again burnt to the ground. It was sadly never rebuilt and now is a summer garden picnic area where families enjoy ice cream and picnics.

Summer Garden Farewell

The night is chill, the ballroom deserted
The sound of dancing feet is gone
The sound of music has faded away
There is no sound of voices, they have disappeared
There is no laughter
Farewell, dear old lady Summer Garden.
There are tears I cannot hide, so I smile and say as the flames die
Smoke gets in my eyes…

– Don Ivey, January 9, 1979. (Source)

I recently visited Port Dover for the first time and while I could not find this picnic area personally (I don’t think I looked hard enough), I did take the picture below and day dreamed that this was the view that many dancers saw while taking in summer air, after a night dancing to some of the biggest bands in the world.

Please share any memories, comments & thoughts about this Vintage Dance Hall in the comments section below.

February 2023 update: I recently stumbled upon this podcast on the Summer Garden by ‘Curated Past‘. It was well done (and goes much deeper into the history then I did)! Take a listen below.

Thank you for dropping by!

Other ‘Lets Dance’ Posts: Kenwick on the Lake, CNE Tent, Palace Pier

Liz 🙂

Tag: Big Bands

98th Anniversary of the Savoy Ballroom-Home of the Happy Feet