Mandi’s Dance Bio

Mandi Gould is a swing dance specialist living in St. Catharines, Ontario near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Full Bio

Mandi Gould has been passionate about Lindy Hop since she first laid eyes on the dance in 1998. The highlights of her life were assisting legendary swing dancer Frankie Manning with workshops in 2002, 2006 and 2008. From 2011-2020 she was a Member of the Board of Advisors for the Frankie Manning Foundation.

Following Frankie’s example, she is dedicated to spreading the spirit of Lindy Hop as a joyful, inclusive, and welcoming dance. Mandi feels strongly that there is no such thing as two left feet, that it’s never too late to learn, and that Lindy Hop is a dance for real people from all walks of life.

Mandi Gould is the original founder of Bees’ Knees Dance in Toronto where she taught as Head Dance Instructor for 16 years. She was also a co-founder of Toronto Lindy Hop. Her dance instruction has taken her across Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, China, South Korea, and Japan.

In 2002 she spent time in Saint Petersburg and Moscow where helped with the early development of the Russian Lindy Hop community. In 2003 she managed two North American tours for the Harlem Hotshots and from 2002 to 2004 she assisted as a key administrator for the Herräng Dance Camp, was Herräng’s original DJ Coordinator, and organized the Swing Bus in 2004. In May of 2014, she was the Overall Producer for the largest swing dance festival of all time, Frankie 100, in New York City, including the show Swingin’ Frankie’s Way at Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater. In 2016 she organized a special Lindy Hop event at the Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown, NY and Swedes in New York City in May 2019.

Since 2020, Mandi’s relationship with Lindy Hop has become more complicated. However, she is very supportive of the Black Lindy Hoppers Fund and, in alignment with the BLHF mission, she is passionate about the Lindy Hop legacy and bridging the gap of knowledge, access, and development for Black Lindy Hoppers.

Short Bio

Mandi Gould is a dance organizer, administrator, and former dance studio owner and instructor. She had the privilege of assisting Frankie Manning with workshops in 2002, 2006 and 2008, which proved to be life-changing experiences. Inspired by Frankie, she dedicated 20+ years to spreading Lindy Hop as well the values that Frankie shared. In addition to teaching Lindy Hop for many years in Toronto and abroad, she was a member of the board of advisors for the Frankie Manning Foundation for 9 yerasand the Overall Event Organizer for Frankie 100 in New York City in May 2014.

Videos

Assisting Chazz Yong, 2006

Television spot with Frankie Manning, 2006. Dancing starts at 3:30:

Assisting Frankie Manning, 2008

Jazz & Lindy Hop Demo, Korea

Rock n’ Roll Demo, Korea:

Solo Jazz Demo: