'An Evening with Frankie Manning'
Fri/25, Gershwin Theater

THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Lindy Hop Society is holding its annual bash not in a ballroom but in a theater, presenting the special program "An Evening with Frankie Manning." If you don't know who Manning is, ask your grandmother or check out the videos Hellzapoppin' or Jittering Jitterbugs. Manning is one of the originators of the lindy hop, the superfast, acrobatic, jazz-inspired version of swing that came out of Harlem in the '30s. At the Savoy Ballroom, where the Tony Award-winning Manning often partnered with the equally legendary Norma Miller, he introduced the first aerial moves and regularly outdanced his competitors in the section of the dance floor called "the Kat's Korner." By the time he retired from performing and took a job with the U.S. Postal Service, rock had taken over, and the touring gigs had become thin. Fortunately, the last decade's resurgence of swing has given him a whole new lease on life and a new set of dancing partners. To hear this 87-year-old fireball talk about his art is more than experiencing dance history – it's getting a lesson in humanity. 7:30 p.m., 2350 Turk, S.F. $7-$8. (415) 979-3079. (Rita Felciano)