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Blake High School Will Pay Tribute To Duke Ellington During Black History Month
MRS. CASEY CURRY ...Director, Creative Writing, H. W. Blake High School
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
On February 17th at 11:00 am, Howard W. Blake High School will present Black His- tory Month.
“Jazz is an art form that truly originated in America. It is ours and was created by African American musi- cians. This year we will explore the works and life of Duke Ellington as we celebrate Black History and the amazing art of jazz,” states Mrs. Casey Curry, M.Ed, Director of Cre-
ative Writing, Synapse Literary Magazine Advisor at Blake High School.
Howard W. Blake High School will pay tribute to leg- endary jazz artist, Duke Ellington when the school observes Black History Month.
The event will take place on Friday, February 17, 2017, 11 a. m. at the school and is free.
As a part of this year’s Black History Month presenta- tion, Mr. Cedric Liqueur will take center stage with his original performance, “Duke Ellington: Rocks In My Bed.”
An independent actor and
playwright, Liqueur is a for- mer member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Lon- don, though born and raised in the United States. He per- forms many originally written shows using persona poems and dramatic monologues. His shows center around historic figures that he chooses to make come to life.
“Rocks In My Bed” is ap- propriate for all ages.
It is not a concert presenta- tion of the music of Duke Ellington, but instead brings to life the person of Mr. Ellington in a personal, one- on-one way, allowing the audi- ence to feel they have had an intimate visit with this ex- tremely talented man and mu- sician.
Liqueur’s one-man show chronicles Ellington’s life and was developed with the co- operation and input of Elling- ton’s family and estate.
“In addition to Mr. Liqueur, this collaborative celebration of jazz will include the H. W. Blake dancers as they present original choreo- graphed performances to Duke Ellington's jazz stan- dards. Several poets will per- form original pieces that celebrate jazz and the leg- endary work of Duke Elling- ton.
“We will also present music by the Blake Jazz Band. The program is a fine arts collabo- ration. Included in this collab- orative work are Howard W. Blake Dance Depart- ment, headed by Albena Ar- naudova and Kelly Rayl, the Creative Writing Department, the Jazz Band, led by Carmen Griffin and Linda Galgani, leading the Visual
“Over 100 middle school students are expected to at- tend, in addition to the Blake students and members of the community.
“Blake is led by Principal Jesse Salters, who is an ad- vocate for the diversity that ex- ists in the student voice and creative work,” Mrs. Curry concluded.
For more information con- tact Blake High School at (813) 272-3422.
‘Jazz Under The Stars’ Thank You
We would like to thank all attendees, sponsors and community supporters for your support of Jazz Under The Stars At 5508 on Friday, January 13th.
This was a milestone event for us, and we could not have done it without you. We will never forget you and stay tuned for future events at 5508.
Mr. Steve Marshall, M.A., Ed.S., Manager, 5508 Development & Partnerships, Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan, Inc.
FYI
Calling All Mentors For Ministry, Past And Present!
Mentors For Ministry, our 10-year anniversary is here! We will have a reunion production this summer! The planning has already begun! Please contact Pastor Tucker-Johnson or Sis. Norma Pierce at (813) 384-0474 or (813) 948-0005 for more information! This is an event you don't want to miss!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A