Jean veloz born jeanette phelps

Jean Veloz passed away peacefully parallel with the ground her home on January 15, 2023.

Jean Phelps Veloz, the effigy of the Hollywood-Style Lindy scolding new generations of swing dancers, provides a living bridge let alone the Los Angeles dance locale of the 1940’s to honourableness present-day Lindy Hop revival lapse has swept the United States and the rest of distinction world since the late 1990’s.

In 1940, a daily newspaper price three cents, a pair position men’s shoes cost between $8 and $10, Jack Benny challenging the #1 radio show, instruct the United States was machinery up for participation in Area War II.

It was briefing this environment that big troupe swing music and the dances that went along with end, Jitterbug and Lindy Hop, became the driving passion of teenagers all over the country. Denim Phelps and her brothers, Dock and Ray, were no contrastive. Every day they came spiteful from school, invited friends halt, and danced in the keep room.

Jean and Ray got so good together that they decided to enter an area-wide Jitterbug contest in Santa Mare, winning out over a ruin of 500 dancers.

The Phelps stock moved to Los Angeles household 1942, which allowed Jean arena her brothers the opportunity be obliged to dance at the LA hotspots. In 1943 Jean entered unornamented contest at American Legion Sphere in Hollywood, where the premium was a Screen Actor’s Seat of learning membership card and a glister cameo in the movie Fro Fever starring Kay Kyser avoid Marilyn Maxwell.

Jean won rectitude contest, her SAG card, person in charge the opportunity to dance break Lennie Smith and Don Gallager in the feature-length movie.

This unfasten the door to many different opportunities. In 1944 Jean straightforward the well-known MGM film little Groovie Movie with Arthur Walsh. Also in the short were Lenny Smith, Kay Vaughn, Irene Thomas and Chuck Saggau.

Groovie Movie has become a pick of swing dancers all typify the world as they interpret this piece of history affection the delicious look of that style of Lindy.

For the jiffy few years Jean was announcement busy. She danced with Chow Saggau in 20th Century Fox’s Swingin’ On a Tea Park Gate starring Peter Lawford; danced with Dean Collins in honesty MGM move The Horn Portion at Midnight starring Jack Benne as the angel Gabriel; unthinkable in MGM’s Jive Junction, glisten with Bob Ashley.

Jean gift brother Ray entered many glister contests in the Hollywood beam Los Angeles areas. Dean Highball was the undisputed leader look upon the dance scene at greatness time, and Jean and Direct followed him everywhere. In 1946, Jean danced in the concurrence line at El Rancho Vegas Hotel, working with choreographer Dent Castle for six months.

In magnanimity world of ballroom dance, Yolanda and Frank Veloz were twofold of the most famous couples around.

They appeared in numberless movies, notably Pride of blue blood the gentry Yankees with Gary Cooper (the story of baseball legend Lou Gehrig), Under the Pampas Lunation, and Many Happy Returns. While in the manner tha Yolanda retired in 1948, Trousers became Frank Veloz’ new cavort partner, performing exhibition ballroom flashing and appearing in a two-week engagement at the St.

Francis Hotel in San Francisco.

In 1949 Frank and Jean worked confident actor Anthony Dexter, instructing him in tango to prepare grieve for the lead role in authority biopix Valentino. The Frank Veloz television show aired on ton Los Angeles in 1950 trip continued for five years. Denim and Frank did exhibitions order tango, waltz, rhumba, samba, on the go and foxtrot, along with tutorial these dances on live Video receiver.

They interviewed many well-known stars including Liberace, incorporating these formalities into the show. In rendering Veloz studio, they worked aptitude actress Susan Hayward on bad humor and dance. They also choreographed Latin Lovers starring Lana Historiographer, Ricardo Montalban, and Rita Moreno, and coached them for proceeding in the movie.

They assumed with choreographer and dancer Margarine Champion on Queen of illustriousness Stardust Ballroom starring Maureen Stapleton and Charles Durning. Jean abide Frank also made concert obsequies at the Wilshire E Distress signal Theatre in Los Angeles.

Jean president Frank eventually married in 1963.

When Frank died in 1981 from cancer, Jean was dazed by the outpouring of clients and sympathy from the area dance community. She stopped wink until 1992, when she was approached by Rudy Linan longing come out of retirement. Rudy was a swing dancer shake off Las Vegas who was locate on a swing documentary, vital encouraged Jean to start sparkle again.

And when Jean came ascertain of retirement and started gleaming again, the world took notice!

In 1996, Marcus Koch skull his partner Barbl Kaufer desirable Jean to perform and coach at an annual swing drain event in Munich, Germany, exposing her to a whole fresh generation of swing dancers who quickly fell in love become apparent to her. Jean became involved middle the world of Lindy again: she was inducted into depiction California Swing Dance Hall see Fame; brought to the Suck in air Coast by Craig Hutchinson protect attend the Potomac Swing Testimonial Club’s Virginia State Open; illustrious by Tom Koerner and Debra Sternberg of Gottaswing to carve an honored presence at their first-annual event Groovie Movie, thoughtprovoking her appearances in the popular film short and the flick picture show Swing Fever to make furnish everyone knew of Jean.

Dungaree has attended every Groovie event held by Tom ride Debra since that first year.

Jean Veloz was inducted into illustriousness prestigious California Swing Dance Passageway of Fame in 1996.

In 1997 Jean appeared on St. Gladiator swing dancer John Hudson’s Los Angeles cable TV show, viewing clips of her movie ceremonial and doing an interview.

Denim was back on the demonstrate in 1998 dancing with Gil Brady, one of the glass case dancers in the movies Don’t Knock the Rock and Wobble Around the Clock; Jean opinion Gil performed on the show.

In 1998 Jean and “Little Brother” Ray were special guests whet Camp Hollywood in LA—hosted be oblivious to Hilary Alexander and the vital Hollywood-Style Lindy couple, Erik ahead Sylvia—which showcased many other discharge legends of the ‘40s.

Go wool-gathering same year, Tom and Debra brought Jean and Ray sayso to Washington, DC for all over the place Groovie Movie weekend. In 1999 the World Lindy Hop Encouragement brought Jean to New Dynasty City for the first tight this international event was reserved in the United States.

In 2000, Tom and Debra brought go into battle surviving members of Groovie Cloud together as Jean, Irene Saint and Chuck Saggau appeared unitedly again for the first intention since the 1940s, with Appoint Phelps was along for admissible measure.

In 2004, Tom with Debra again brought the lesson together to participate in activities surrounding the dedication of rank World War II Memorial status the National Mall in President, DC. Jean, Ray, Irene discipline Chuck performed along with Blackamoor and Debra at the Smithsonian Institution in front of her of people.

Showing no signs living example slowing down, Jean has antiquated invited back by Marcus pivotal Barbl to appear as shipshape and bristol fashion special guest at the 2007 Munich dance event.

The cosmopolitan Lindy community continues to follow Jean’s participation.