The Savoy Ballroom, located in Harlem, New York City, was a medium-sized hall for music and dance from 12 March 1926 to July 10, 1958. It was a very famous melting pot of (exceptional!) black and white dances, where various new styles such as Lindy Hop originated from.
SavoyBallroomIt was in the city known as the "Home of Happy Feet " but uptown, in Harlem, as "The Track". Virtuoso dancers pushed others away to the northeast corner of the dance floor, now referred to as "Cat 's Corner".
The ballroom was on the second floor, and a block long. It had a double podium against the eastern wall. The music was played continuously since the alternative band was always ready to take over. The Savoy had an educated elite of the best Lindy Hoppers known as "Savoy Lindy Hoppers" who occasionally acted professionally as Whitey 's Lindy Hoppers in Broadway and Hollywood productions.
Chick Webb was the leader of the famous Savoy house band during the mid- 1930s.
Once was a "Battle of the Bands" when the Benny Goodman Orchestra was challenged by Chick Webb in 1937, and in 1938 when the Count Basie Band did the same.