The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts, in association with The American Tap Dance Foundation, proudly presents a spectacular evening celebrating the life and music of jazz legend Duke Ellington.

Musical Director Eli Yamin and The Duke Ellington Center Big Band, a dynamic 15-piece ensemble, will be joined by an extraordinary lineup of dancers, musicians, and vocalists including Mark Mindek, AC Lincoln, Karen Callaway Williams, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Antoinette Montague, Max Pollak, Valerie Levine, Miles Purinton, Karyn Tomczak & the Precision Dancers, and the Big Apple Ballroom Studio Dancers, all bringing Ellington’s sound and spirit to vivid life.

Audiences will experience the rarely heard complete performance of “Such Sweet Thunder” — Ellington’s twelve-part jazz suite inspired by the works of William Shakespeare and co-composed with Billy Strayhorn in just three weeks. This dazzling work transforms Shakespeare’s drama, wit, and poetry into bold, swinging jazz.

Duke Ellington’s “Such Sweet Thunder” is directed by Mercedes Ellington, Duke Ellington’s granddaughter, and Tony Waag, Founding Director of the American Tap Dance Foundation. This unforgettable evening promises a fusion of jazz, dance, and holiday spirit, celebrating Duke Ellington’s boundless creativity and cultural impact.

ABOUT DUKE ELLINGTON
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899–1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in 20th-century music. Over more than 50 years, he composed thousands of works, pioneering big-band jazz and shaping the sound of American music. Ellington’s honors include the President’s Gold Medal (1966), the Medal of Freedom (1969), the French Legion of Honor (1973), 13 Grammy Awards, and a posthumous Pulitzer Prize. Nearly 125 years after his birth, his influence resonates worldwide.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts (DECFA) – A non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Duke Ellington through scholarship, education, performance, and outreach.

The American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) – A non-profit committed to establishing tap dance as a vital component of American dance and music. In 2017, Duke Ellington was inducted into the ATDF International Tap Dance Hall of Fame.