Mercedes Ellington
Dancer and choreographer Mercedes Ellington was born on February 9, 1939 in New York City to Ruth Silas Batts and trumpet player and conductor Mercer Ellington, son of renowned composer and bandleader Duke Ellington. Ellington was raised by her maternal grandparents Louise Petgrave Silas and Alfred Silas, who enrolled her in dance and ballet classes at an early age. Ellington received a scholarship to attend The Metropolitan Opera School of Ballet, but decided to enroll at The Julliard School at her father’s insistence. She graduated with her B.A. degree in classical and modern dance in 1960.
Ellington’s first professional role was in a production of West Side Story in Australia. She also appeared in productions of On the Town and Pal Joey at the New York City Center. In 1963, Ellington became the first African American member of the June Taylor Dancers, the featured performers on The Jackie Gleason Show. She danced with the June Taylor Dancers for seven years, until she moved on to perform in Broadway shows like No, No Nannette, The Night That Made America Famous, The Grand Tour, and Happy New Year. In 1981, Ellington starred in Sophisticated Ladies alongside her father, who conducted the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In 1983, she co-founded BalleTap, later named DancEllington, with Maurice Hines. Ellington produced award-winning choreography in musicals such as Blues in the Night, Juba, Satchmo and Tuxedo Junction. The organization dissolved in 1992, and Ellington went on to direct the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Tribute to the Spirit of Harlem in 2001. In 2004, Ellington founded Duke Ellington Center for the Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to scholarship, education, and performance connected to the legacy of Duke Ellington.
Ellington’s choreography and commitment to her grandfather’s legacy earned her numerous honors and awards, including the Actor’s Equity Association’s Paul Robeson Award and the FloBert Lifetime Achievement Award. She also served as a judge for the Capezio Dance Awards, and as a member of the Screen Actors’ Guild and the American Tap Dance Foundation. In addition, Ellington served on the local and national boards of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. In 2016, she also co-authored a book entitled Duke Ellington: An American Composer and Icon with Stephen Brower.
Mercedes Ellington was interviewed by The History Makers on August 12, 2016.
A2016.010
Female
08/12/2016
Ellington
The Juilliard School
St. Walburga's Academy
Our Lady of Lourdes School
Mercedes
New York
ELL05
Fall, Winter
New York
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Don't Piss In My Vest Pocket And Tell Me It's Raining.

New York
2/9/1939
New York
United States
Lamb Chops
Dancer and choreographer Mercedes Ellington (1939 - ), the granddaughter of Duke Ellington, was the first African American member of the June Taylor Dancers on The Jackie Gleason Show. She also opened The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts.
DancEllington
The Jackie Gleason Show
BalleTap USA
'West Side Story'
'On The Town'
'Pal Joey'
'No No Nanette'
'Sophisticated Ladies'
'Blues in the Night'
'Juba'
'Tuxedo Junction'
Cerise
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Mercedes Ellington's interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington lists her favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her maternal family's ballroom dances
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington describes her mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington describes her maternal grandmother
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington remembers her maternal grandparents' home
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington describes her earliest childhood memories
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her early dance lessons and recitals
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Mercedes Ellington describes the sights of her childhood
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Mercedes Ellington remembers New York City's Sugar Hill neighborhood
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Mercedes Ellington describes Our Lady of Lourdes School in New York City
Tape: 1 Story: 12 - Mercedes Ellington recalls being raised by her grandparents
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington talks about living with her maternal grandparents
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington describes her father's early interests
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her paternal grandparents' marriage
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington describes her relationship with her paternal grandmother
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington remembers Duke Ellington's mistresses, pt. 1
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington talks about Duke Ellington's world tours
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington remembers Duke Ellington's affairs
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington shares her hope to bring Duke Ellington's music to Cuba
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her parents' relationship
Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her relationship with her mother
Tape: 2 Story: 11 - Mercedes Ellington describes her siblings
Tape: 2 Story: 12 - Mercedes Ellington describes her father's musical talents
Tape: 2 Story: 13 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her early dance influences
Tape: 2 Story: 14 - Mercedes Ellington recalls enduring discrimination in dance school
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington remembers the limited opportunities for dancers of color
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her family's advice about her career
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington talks about The Juilliard School
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington describes the Martha Graham modern dance technique
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington recalls living at The Juilliard School's International House
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington recalls living with her father
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington remembers her first professional role
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her grandfather's influence
Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Mercedes Ellington describes her father's second marriage
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington describes her father's death and his will
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington lists her performances in New York City
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington recalls auditioning for 'The Jackie Gleason Show'
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington remembers being selected as a June Taylor Dancer
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington describes her experience as a June Taylor Dancer
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her salary on 'The Jackie Gleason Show'
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington describes Jackie Gleason's big band show
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington recalls joining the cast of 'No, No Nanette'
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington talks about the filming of 'The Jackie Gleason Show'
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her first Broadway performance in 'No, No, Nanette'
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington describes her union memberships
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington talks about female empowerment on Broadway
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington recalls her paternal grandfather seeing her performance
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington remembers Duke Ellington's death
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington describes the production behind 'Sophisticated Ladies'
Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington describes her additional sources of income
Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Mercedes Ellington lists her volunteer activities
Tape: 5 Story: 10 - Mercedes Ellington recalls competing in ballroom dancing competitions
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington recalls the cast of 'Sophisticated Ladies'
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington describes the hectic performances of 'Sophisticated Ladies'
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington remembers Gregory Hines's termination from the production of 'Sophisticated Ladies'
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington talks about the success of 'Sophisticated Ladies'
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington describes her father's role in 'Sophisticated Ladies'
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington describes the creation of BalleTap USA
Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington recalls touring with BalleTap USA in Japan
Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington talks about choreographing 'Blues in the Night'
Tape: 6 Story: 9 - Mercedes Ellington recalls choreographing 'Juba'
Tape: 6 Story: 10 - Mercedes Ellington talks about the inspiration behind 'Juba'
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington recalls choreographing 'Tuxedo Junction'
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her philosophy for performances
Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Mercedes Ellington describes her hopes for Duke Ellington's legacy
Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Mercedes Ellington describes her brother's management of the Duke Ellington estate
Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her engagement
Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Mercedes Ellington shares her views on marriage
Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Mercedes Ellington describes the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts
Tape: 7 Story: 8 - Mercedes Ellington talks about her father's role in the Ellington family legacy
Tape: 7 Story: 9 - Mercedes Ellington describes her siblings
Tape: 7 Story: 10 - Mercedes Ellington reflects upon her legacy
Tape: 7 Story: 11 - Mercedes Ellington describes 'Duke Ellington: An American Composer and Icon'
Tape: 7 Story: 12 - Mercedes Ellington reflects upon her life
Tape: 7 Story: 13 - Mercedes Ellington shares her advice for aspiring dancers
Tape: 8 Story: 1 - Mercedes Ellington narrates her photographs
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