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The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
 located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system
District of Columbia Public Schools

District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional school district of Washington, D.C. in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, but in some manners, it can also be thought of as analogous to the state education agency of other st...
, it is named for the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 bandleader
Bandleader

A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
 and composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
 Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader.Duke Ellington was recognized during his life as one of the most influential Jazz royalty, if not in all American music and he is of only four jazz musicians ever to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine ....
 (1899–1974), himself a native of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....


Graduates of the school earn both an artistic and academic diploma. In addition to completing the traditional public school curriculum, students must audition for and complete studies in one of the following artistic areas: dance
Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to Motion of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of Emotional expression, social social interaction or presented in a spirituality or performance setting....
, literary media
Media (arts)

In the arts, media are the materials and techniques used by an artist to produce a work....
, museum studies, instrumental music, vocal music
Vocal music

Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without musical instruments accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece....
, theater, and visual arts
Visual arts

The visual arts are Art#Art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and filmmaking....
.

The school developed from the collaborative efforts of Peggy Cooper Cafritz, long-time a member of the D.C.






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The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
 located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system
District of Columbia Public Schools

District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional school district of Washington, D.C. in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, but in some manners, it can also be thought of as analogous to the state education agency of other st...
, it is named for the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 bandleader
Bandleader

A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
 and composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
 Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader.Duke Ellington was recognized during his life as one of the most influential Jazz royalty, if not in all American music and he is of only four jazz musicians ever to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine ....
 (1899–1974), himself a native of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....


Graduates of the school earn both an artistic and academic diploma. In addition to completing the traditional public school curriculum, students must audition for and complete studies in one of the following artistic areas: dance
Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to Motion of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of Emotional expression, social social interaction or presented in a spirituality or performance setting....
, literary media
Media (arts)

In the arts, media are the materials and techniques used by an artist to produce a work....
, museum studies, instrumental music, vocal music
Vocal music

Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without musical instruments accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece....
, theater, and visual arts
Visual arts

The visual arts are Art#Art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and filmmaking....
.

The school developed from the collaborative efforts of Peggy Cooper Cafritz, long-time a member of the D.C. School Board of DCPS
District of Columbia Public Schools

District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional school district of Washington, D.C. in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, but in some manners, it can also be thought of as analogous to the state education agency of other st...
 and Mike Malone, a veteran of Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
, off-Broadway
Off-Broadway

Off Broadway theater is an umbrella term for a defined set of Play , musical theater or revues performed in New York City. Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan's Theatre District, New York, the hub of the theater industry in the United States, the term later becam...
, and classical dancer
Ballet

Ballet is a formalized type of performative dance, the origins of which date lay in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century France courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form....
, who were co-founders of Workshops for Careers in the Arts in 1968. In 1974 this workshop program developed into the at Western High School
Western High School

Western High School may refer to:*Western High School — Anaheim, California*Western High School Davie, FL — Davie, Florida*Western High School — Russiaville, Indiana...
, an accredited four-year public high school
Public high school

A public high school is a secondary school that is financed by tax revenues and other government-collected revenues, and administered exclusively by, and at the discretion of, state and local officials....
 program combining arts
ARts

aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is most famous for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
 and academics.

Students and faculty

Ellington currently serves approximately 500 students in grades 9-12. The academic faculty is fully credentialed and includes seven Fulbright Scholars, award-winning writers and musicians, various Ph.D's, and DCPS's only National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in Young Adulthood English/Language Arts
Language arts

Language arts is the general academic subject area dealing with developing comprehension and capacity for use of written and oral language.Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
.

Academics

Ranked as one of top high schools, Ellington's curriculum
Curriculum

In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of wiktionary:deed and experiences through which children grow and mature in becoming adults....
 requires students earn 34% more credits than those at other D. C. public high schools. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average in both academics and the arts to be permitted to perform and, ultimately, to stay enrolled at Ellington. The school has a 99% on-time graduation rate.

Arts

Ellington is the place for aspiring young artists to refine their skills in one of eight pre-professional disciplines, including Dance, Literary Media, Museum Studies, Instrumental or Vocal Music, Theater, Technical Theater, and Visual Arts.

One of the many things the school is recognized for is the world renowned Duke Ellington Show Choir. This choir has traveled to Europe, the Virgin Islands, Asia, Hawaii, and throughout the U.S. The show choir has won numerous awards for their performances. The creator of this choir is Samuel L. E. Bonds, a well known man of music who studied with Todd Duncan
Todd Duncan

Robert Todd Duncan was an United States baritone opera singer and actor.He obtained his musical training at Butler University in Indianapolis with a B.A....
. He also is the director of the Duke Ellington Concert Choir, which consists of all voice majors at the high school grades 10-12. The show choir performs all types of music including Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
, Gospel, Opera
Opera

Opera is an Performing arts in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work which combines a text and a musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition....
, Jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, R&B, and much more. This choir is very famous for their production of Amahl and the Night Visitors
Amahl and the Night Visitors

Amahl and the Night Visitors is an opera in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti with an original English libretto by the composer. It was commissioned by NBC and first performed on December 24, 1951 in New York City, at NBC studio 8H in Radio City Music Hall, where it was broadcast live on television as the debut production of the Hallmark Hall...
, which they perform every year around Christmas.

The Show Choir allows great talented students to stand out solo wise. The students of the show choir have a grade point average of 2.8 and above. Though they have very hectic schedules, they still manage to stay on top of their academics. This choir has performed at the White House
White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian architecture and has been the executive residence of every U.S....
 for President Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
. They performed for Mayor Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty

Adrian Malik Fenty is the sixth and current List of mayors of Washington, D.C. of the District of Columbia, having begun his term of office on January 2, 2007....
's inauguration. They have also shared the stage with people such as Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken is an United States American popular music singer who began his rise to fame on the American Idol of the television program American Idol in 2003....
, Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle

Patricia Louise Holte , best known by her stage name of Patti LaBelle, is an American rhythm and blues and soul music singer-songwriter and actor....
, Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Guy

Jasmine Guy is an United States actress, singer and dancer. She is most well known for her starring role as Southern belle Whitley Gilbert in the television series A Different World ....
, Patti Austin
Patti Austin

Patti Austin, born August 10 1950, in Harlem, New York, to Edna and Gordon Austin, is a Grammy award-winning R&B and jazz music singer....
, Beyonce Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles

Beyonc? Giselle Knowles , commonly known as Beyonc? , is an American contemporary R&B singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools, and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child....
, Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men is an Grammy Award-winning American Contemporary R&B/soul music singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988 as a quintet which originally included Marc Nelson, Boyz II Men found fame as a quartet, with the members being Nathan Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris, on Motown Records during the...
, and Denyce Graves
Denyce Graves

Denyce Graves is an United States opera singer.Graves was raised in the city's Bellevue, Washington, D.C. section, in a single-parent household....
. They have performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue , occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street , two blocks south of Central Park....
 and the Kennedy Center and continue to choir perform year round, most recently at the We Are One Inaguratioin concert. They perform for churches and many other organizations. They sang The Star Spangled Banner for the opening of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball based in Washington, D.C., United States. The Nationals are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
 first baseball game. Ellington's Show Choir has been growing strong since 1986.

College acceptance

Over 95% of Ellington graduates are accepted into universities and conservatories each year. Ellington alum have studied at Yale University
Yale University

Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School, Yale is the Colonial Colleges institution of higher education in the United States and is a member of the Ivy League....
, New York University
New York University

New York University is a private university, nonsectarian, research university in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan....
, Harvard University
Harvard University

Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the Colonial Colleges institution of higher learning in the United States....
, The Juilliard School, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute is a specialized, private college in New York City with campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as in Utica, New York. Pratt is one of the leading art schools in the United States and offers programs in art, architecture, fashion design, illustration, interior design, digital arts, creative writing, library science, and o...
, Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is an independent music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students and a 2008 faculty of approximately 500....
, and Howard University
Howard University

Howard University is a private university, coeducational, nonsectarian, Historically black colleges and universities university located in Washington, D.C., United States....
, among other institutions.

Application process

In order to be admitted into Ellington, students must complete an admissions application, audition before a panel, provide academic and attendance records, two letters of recommendations and complete an interview.

Famous alumni

  • Dave Chappelle
    Dave Chappelle

    David Khari Webber Chappelle , better known as Dave Chappelle, is an American comedian, screenwriter, television producer/film producer, and actor....
    , comedian
  • Michaela Angela Davis
    Michaela Angela Davis

    CULTURAL CRITIC/ WRITER/ ?URBANISTA?Michaela Angela Davis is an expert critic and writer on urban style, race, gender and hip-hop culture....
    , Essence (magazine)
    Essence (magazine)

    Essence is Where Black Women Come First for news, entertainment and motivation. It was the first monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49....
     Executive Fashion & Beauty Editor, writer, author, commentator, and speaker
  • Johnny Gill
    Johnny Gill

    Johnny Gill is an United States R&B music singer-songwriter best known for his romantic ballads and as a member of New Edition. His signature song "My, My, My" has been included on numerous romantic compilations....
    , R&B singer and member of New Edition
    New Edition

    New Edition is an United States R&B/Pop group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1978, that was most popular during the 1980s. Their success led to the creation of late-1980s and 1990s boy bands like New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men....
     (b. 1963)
  • Meshell Ndegeocello, singer (b. 1968)
  • Wallace Roney
    Wallace Roney

    Wallace Roney is an United States of America hard bop and post-bop trumpeter.He was born in Philadelphia and attended Howard University and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts after graduating from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts of the District of Columbia Public Schools, where he studied trumpet with Langston Fitzg...
    , jazz trumpeter
  • Lamman Rucker
    Lamman Rucker

    Lamman Rucker is an African-American actor. He currently appears on the TBS sitcom Meet the Browns ....
    , actor
  • Tony Terry
    Tony Terry

    Tony Terry is an United States soul music/new jack swing singing from Washington, D.C., who had several Contemporary R&B hit record in the late 1980s and early 1990s....
    , R&B singer
  • Mary Timony
    Mary Timony

    Mary Timony is an American indie rock singer, guitarist, keyboardist, and viola....
    , indie rock
    Indie rock

    Indie rock is alternative rock that most notably exists in the Independent music underground music scene. It primarily refers to rock musicians that are or were unsigned, or have signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels....
     musician (b. 1970)
  • Denyce Graves
    Denyce Graves

    Denyce Graves is an United States opera singer.Graves was raised in the city's Bellevue, Washington, D.C. section, in a single-parent household....
    , Opera Singer


External links



See also

  • Duke Ellington
    Duke Ellington

    Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader.Duke Ellington was recognized during his life as one of the most influential Jazz royalty, if not in all American music and he is of only four jazz musicians ever to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine ....