SAVOY 100 HARLEM

Weekend of Events Commemorates 100 Years of Cultural Impact on March 14 and 15, 2026

HARLEM, NY — The SAVOY 100 HARLEM COMMITTEE is proud to announce a historic weekend of celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the opening of the legendary Savoy Ballroom. On Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, 2026, Harlem will come alive with the sights and sounds of the swing era to honor a venue that was not only the epicenter of jazz and dance but a pioneer of racial integration in America.

The Savoy Ballroom, which opened its doors on March 12, 1926, was world-renowned for its “no discrimination” policy, where merit was measured by footwork rather than skin color. To honor this centennial, the weekend will feature a curated series of events including a live big band performance,
 historical panels, film screenings and social dancing.

“The Savoy wasn’t just a ballroom; it was a heartbeat of resilience and artistic innovation,” says Barbara Jones, Committee Lead for Savoy 100. “We are proud to honor that legacy by bringing the community together once again to ‘Stomp at the Savoy’ and ensure its story continues for the next hundred years.”

Weekend Schedule of Events:

Saturday, March 14: DROP ME OFF UPTOWN!
Location: Harlem Hospital (506 Lenox Ave, Harlem)
12:00 AM: Tour of Harlem History Murals
12:30 PM: Film Screenings: FRANKIE MANNING HISTORY & 1937 DANCING THE BIG APPLE
1:15 PM:  Panel Discussion: Judy Pritchert (Filmmaker), Mickey Davison (Dancer/Historian) & Felix Lambert (Dance Historian).
1:35 PM: Mini Dance Lesson
2:00 – 2:30 PM: Mini Social Dance

Saturday, March 14: LADIES’ NIGHT! Drop Me off Uptown 
Location: Robert F. Smith Center For Performing Arts at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park 
(679 Riverside Drive at W. 145th St., Harlem)

5:00 PM: Jazz Concert & Social Dancing: THE ANTOINETTE MONTAGUE EXPERIENCE
6:30 PM: Panel Discussion: John Biffar (filmmaker), Sonny Allen (Savoy Ballroom legend), Barbara Billups (Savoy Ballroom legend), Mickey Davison (Dancer/Historian),
Robert Crease (philosopher and Dance historian)

Special Guest – Debbie Allen
(legendary Broadway and Hollywood director, choreographer and producer)
 
7:30 PM: Film Screening: QUEEN OF SWING: NORMA MILLER
story
(John Biffar: dir)

Sunday, March 15: STOMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY
Location: Bollinger Auditorium 
(601 W. 125th St and Broadway., Harlem)

12:30 PM: Doors Open
1:00 PM: Film Screening: SAVOY KING: Chick Webb and The Music That Changed America (Jeff Jauffman, producer)
2:30 PM – Panel discussion with Jeff Kauffman (Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer). Andrew Gale (Member of the Moe Gale estate), Sonny Allen (Savoy Ballroom legend), Barbara Billups (Savoy Ballroom legend), Voza Rivers (Harlem Arts & Culture Advocate; Producer), Jun Maruta (Dancer, Preservationist and Harlem Dance Advocate) and Yvonne Marceau (Dancer, Preservationist, Dance Advocate)

3:30 PM: Proclamations

4:00 – 5:00 PM:
Jazz, Film Clips and Social Dancing

Media Contact
Name: Barbara Jones (Committee Lead of
 The Harlem Swing Dance Society)
Email: theharlemswingdancesociety@gmail.com
Phone: (347) 709-7022
Website: www.theharlemswingdancesociety.org

About Savoy 100: The Savoy 100 Harlem committee is a non-profit collective of historians, dancers, and Harlem community leaders. They are dedicated to preserving the history of the Savoy Ballroom and promoting the enduring legacy of Jazz and Harlem’s signature cultural dance of the Lindy Hop.