Fundraiser for Swing Dance Legend Jean Veloz Passes $20K: Let’s Do This!

Jean Veloz, star of The Groovie Movie, Swing Fever, The Horn Blows at Midnight, Swingin’ on a Teagarden Gate, and many other films featuring swing dance sequences, died peacefully at home on January 15^th, 2023, just a few weeks shy of her 99^th birthday.

Jean inspired generations of dancers with her smooth and sassy style, from those who watched her movie clips on VHS and then later YouTube to those who were lucky enough to meet her at one of her many global appearances at dance events as a speaker and teacher.

Jean was simply a delight, always positive and upbeat, and her life-long love for swing dancing and swing music was impossible to miss. She was one of the last of the original swing-era dancers and did not take this responsibility lightly, always up for a chat or a dance demo for her many admirers. For a complete bio on Jean’s fascinating and long life, visit her website.

Now her niece, Stacey Phelps, along with fans Rusty Frank, Hilary Alexander, Tom Koerner, and Debra Sternberg have united to grant Jean’s final wish – a spot in the Judy Garland Pavilion at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where she can rest among the stars and where, as she said, “people can visit me and bring me flowers”. The goal is to raise $30,000 for the purchase of her niche by the dedication day of March 4^th, the Saturday after her March 1^st birthday.

There are many methods to donate, and no donation is too small! You can visit the Facebook fundraiser page:

Or go direct to the Jean Veloz Legacy Project web page.

By Hilary Alexander

Editor’s Note: Rusty Frank reported on Facebook that the donations have totaled $20,280 so far from all sources!

– Brian