Farewell to a Dance Icon: Jean Veloz, 98, Passes Away. Cause of death remains unknown.

Jean Veloz, the renowned Lindy Hop dancer known for her innovative style and captivating performances in Hollywood musicals of the 1940s, passed away at the age of 98. Born in Los Angeles in 1924, Veloz grew up in Santa Maria, California where she and her siblings practiced swing dance with their friends.

In 1942, the family moved back to Los Angeles and Veloz began her career in the entertainment industry by winning a dance contest at the Hollywood Legion Stadium. This led to her first movie role in the 1943 film Swing Fever, where she danced alongside Gene Halverson and Marilyn Maxwell.

Veloz continued to appear in various films throughout the 1940s, often as an uncredited background dancer. She married Harold “Babe” Davi but later divorced him. In 1948, she began training with famed ballroom dancer Frank Veloz, of the Yolanda and Veloz duo. When Yolanda retired the following year, Veloz partnered with Frank and they went on to become a popular dance duo.

They married in 1963 and continued to dance and teach together until Frank’s death in 1981. Veloz retired from dancing until a swing documentary by Rudy Linan brought her back and she continued to dance well into her 90s. Veloz was loved and admired by dancers around the world and her legacy in the dance world will be greatly missed.

Early Life & Career

Jeanne Phelps, born on March 1, 1924 in Los Angeles, was the second of three siblings. Her family moved to Santa Maria, California when she was five and back to Los Angeles when she was a teenager. She and her brother Raymond were known for their swing dance skills and often performed together in dance halls.

She won a dance contest at the Hollywood Legion Stadium, which led to her first movie role in Swing Fever (1943) as well as a Screen Actors Guild card. She also appeared in other movies such as Where Are Your Children? (1943) and Jive Junction (1943) and in the swing short Groovie Movie (1944). In 1946, she acted in El Rancho Vegas hotel. In 1948, she began training with famed ballroom dancer Frank Veloz and they eventually married in 1963.

They opened dance schools and had a TV show together. After Frank’s death in 1981, Jean retired until a swing documentary by Rudy Linan brought her back to dancing in her 90s. She is well-known and respected by swing and Lindy dancers around the world.