Norma Miller (1919-2019)

Norma Miller's father died before she was born, and Norma's mother had to navigate life in Harlem as a single mother trying to support two young daughters. For Norma, this meant spending all day in movie houses copying dance scenes, dancing at mother’s rent parties, and then dancing on the streets for change so she could go back and do it all again. One time when she was dancing for change outside of the Savoy, the great Lindy Hopper Twistmouth George was walking in and asked if she wanted to dance with him in the day's contest. She agreed, and her feet barely touched the floor in the contest. After winning to great applause, George came right back out and put her on the pavement.

Soon Norma was entering every dance contest she could. One of the apartments her family lived in was near the Cotton Club, where they could hear Duke Ellington perform. Another was behind the Savoy, where they could see shadows move across the windows, and Norma and her sister tried to move like  the shadows. 

When Norma and a partner won a contest against some Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Whitey took notice, and invited her to the group. At 15, she was officially a professional dancer. "And I've been working ever since," said Norma.  

Over the next few years, Norma would tour Europe, place in many Harvest Moon Balls, perform in A Day at the Races and Hellzapoppin, and even manage some of the groups, such as the cast of the Whitey's World's Fair Savoy Pavillion. 

Over the years she grew dissatisfied with Whitey and started out on her own in the early 40s, studying other forms of performance dance and producing shows for legendary Black nightclubs like New York's Smalls Paradise, and L.A.'s Club Alabam. When she achieved a personal milestone and was cast in a dancing role for a Broadway show, she realized the pay was nowhere near what she had been getting for producing. Without realizing it, she had made it in show business. And, she was one of the few Black women producers and managers at that time.

Over the next few decades, she started her own groups, Norma Miller Dancers and Norma Miller and her Jazzmen. In the 1970s, she did stand-up comedy and produced an album. Beginning in the 80s, she began teaching Lindy Hop again on top of managing her groups, and over the next few decades published her autobiography, Swinging at the Savoy (co-written with Evette Jensen), and a documentary, Queen of Swing.

She spent the last years of her life doing talks, working on theatrical projects, and performing with Billy Bros. Swing Orchestra. She said they  were the best years of her life. 

Norma transitioned in 2019 at the age of 99.

Video and biography by Bobby White