ABOUT

    Joseph Lanza was born in Thompsonville, Connecticut on April 20, 1923. One of a dozen children, Joey had the advantage of a great deal of freedom. He returned to complete his senior year in high school after serving in the Air Force during World War II, and graduated from UCLA seventeen years later at the age of 39 (June 1962). Joey's job resume lists over seventy different occupations, from shining shoes to stage and film choreographer. This vast area of job experiences fortunately turned out to provide him with an endless supply of material for his first love, writing. In most of his story episodes, Joey can say with conviction, "I saw it happen..."

    Joe owned and operated "The Hollywood Dance Club" for ten years, danced in some 75 films and television shows, created the Bossa Nova dance, along with several novelty dances. Winner of the Rudolf Valentino Tango trophy in 1952, he has taught in public high schools, written over 30 books, from his 1964 "Art of Teaching Ballroom Dancing" to his current "Strictly Swing The Dean Collins Way." Lanza taught from 1949 through 1962 in Hollywood. The only swing dancer doing acrobatics in the movies, his 280 page book, "The Dancer," contains over 100 autobiographical stories of his experiences with movie stars and dancers of the Fifties, from Dean Collins to Frank Sinatra.

My latest book, 'The Dancer' made its debut at the Hollywood Palladium Oct. 15th, 16th, and 17th at the Second Annual Swing Fest, 'Camp Hollywood.'  Many of the famous dancers of the 1950's  were present, plus 2,000 other Swing dancers from as far as Germany where Swing is the craze.

When I was invited to be a guest speaker, I decided to put together a special supplement to 'the Dancer' for the special event called 'Strictly Swing the Dean Collins Way.' At the Camp Hollywood three-day celebration they showed film clips of Swing dancing from the 1950's. For the first time in my life I saw myself dancing in the movies. I had the elated feeling of realizing that Joe Lanza was the only dancer doing acrobatics while Swing dancing, which, in turn, helped my book sales.

When you see a dancer doing the Back Flip in those 1950's films, that's me, and whenever a dancer throws his partner directly over his head backwards or forwards, thatsa me too! In 'Bundle Of Joy' I have a number 7 on my jacket, dancing around Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, whom I also taught the dance routine, including their back roll-over aerial.
 

'	'The Dancer' is an 8" x 11" 241 page text with over 40 additional pages of vintage 1950's photos; bound with plastic comb, and a 10 point, super glossy cover. 'The Dancer' calls for a contribution of $25 plus $5 shipping and handling.
'Strictly Swing's ' benediction is for $10 plus $5 shipping and handling.  Or  order both for $35 plus $5 shipping and handling.