If dance camps and festivals were the only option to learn Lindy Hop, we would not have the genius of this art form.
Black elders often lamented that younger, black dancers weren’t interested in learning Lindy Hop. But in truth, it wasn’t a lack of interest—it was a lack of access.
In partnership, the Al Minns Next Generation Project and Pacific Swing Dance Foundation are fostering the elders’ dream that a new generation of black American dancers—well-schooled in the dance and its history—would emerge. The Next Generation Project aims to strengthen and train accurate Lindy Hop dance technique, surround project participants with American and international mentors, and inspire participants to accept responsibility for learning and transmitting the authentic history and technique of Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz.
The Al Minns Next Generation Project (AMNGP) is a newly-established non-profit, conceived of and led by Denise Minns-Harris and headed by members of Al Minns’ family. The Next Generation Project (NGP) is a two-year program aimed at cultivating and inspiring young swing dancers, operated by AMNGP and PSDF in partnership.
For a duration of two years, each class of approximately 10 NGP participants receives training and mentorship from master dance teachers, elders of swing dance, and experts in the practices, history, and culture of dance. Participants not only train in the vocabulary and technique of Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz dance, they are steeped in the history of these dances, they learn about the practical aspects of participating and making money in the international dance world, and they are given tools to build and participate in their respective communities.
The first NGP class—the class of 2025—was inducted in the spring of 2024 and will continue into 2026. They are not merely a group of learners, they are a team of dancers, and their hard work will find expression through performance, competition, and leadership.
Brandon Barker
New York, NY
Alyssa Monet Beard
Montreal, QC
Rachel Brown
Gardena, CA
Justin D. Davis
Boston, MA
Candice Michelle Franklin
New York, NY
Trenadee Johnson
Gary, IN
Aaron Jones
New Jersey
Hannah Lane
Baltimore, MD
Olivia Nelson
Washington, DC
Chiadikaobi Njoku
Arizona
Hamed Nuraina
New York, NY
Chealsia Smedley
Columbus, OH
Sean Vitale
New York, NY
NGP is honored to welcome our mentors for the 2024–25 season:
LaTasha Barnes
Felix Berghäll
Barbara Billups
Ursula Hicks
Julia Loving
Breai Mason Campbell
Denise Minns-Harris
Marie N’diaye
Sugar Sullivan
Chester Whitmore
Josette Wiggan
The Next Generation Project (NGP) was created to nurture and train young Black American dancers in the art of authentic Lindy Hop and vernacular Jazz. NGP strives to provide opportunities, resources, and mentorship to empower the next generation to carry forward these culturally significant dance forms. Your contribution can make a difference in a young dancer’s life—please donate now to support our mission to foster talent and celebrate Black American art forms.