Duke Ellington School of performing arts: the arts-dedicated

One of the recognized high schools in Washington is the Duke Ellington School of performing arts. Also one among the high school institutions of Columbia Public School System district, the Duke Ellington School of performing arts was named after a Washington native, a composer and a US jazz bandleader, Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington.

The arts-devoted school aims to educate talented and potential students who consider a flourishing arts career through strong academic schemes and intensive arts education. They also establish this school to prepare the students for their post-secondary learning and other professional careers.

The arts program offered by Duke Ellington School of performing arts take in literary media, dance, instrumental music, museum studies, visual arts, theater, and vocal music. Meanwhile, their academic programs are social studies, English, science, mathematics and world languages.

The Duke Ellington School of performing arts expanded from the shared efforts of Mike Malone, a Broadway veteran, classical dancer and off-Broadway as well as Peggy Cooper Cafrtiz, a D.C. School Board member for many years. The two were also the co-founders of Arts Career Workshop in 1968.

In 1974, the arts workshop program has developed into becoming the Duke Ellington School of Arts, a recognized four-year public school program, which combines the arts and the academics.

Academic Demands

Belonging to the roll of finest high schools in D.C. Public Schools, the Duke Ellington School of performing arts' curriculum entails each student to earn 34% over the credits compared to other known D.C. public schools.

Several learning programs are decisively set to sustain students, giving extra assistance in tutorials for those struggling. Students are also demanded to keep a certain GPA or grade point average in both arts and academics performances for them to perform and eventually, to stay at Ellington as a student. This focused scheme results in about 99% rate of on-time graduation and more than 1.5 million US dollar worth college scholarships.

College Acceptance

More than 95% of Duke Ellington School of performing arts students is enrolled to most competitive conservatories and universities every year. Presently, the students are at New York University, Yale University, Howard University, Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, The Julliard School, and Harvard University.

The Duke Ellington School of performing arts is an excellent place for hopeful young students who aim to hone their skills as well as flourish on pre-professional disciplines such as literary media, dance, visual arts, technical theater, theater, vocal or instrumental music, or museum studies.