Tap Ellington was presented on Friday, July 14 in 2017 at the Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center. It was a musical celebration of a man's life, his music and a unique legacy of introducing, promoting and presenting tap dancers to audiences all over the world. Master of ceremonies Tony Waag and the Duke Ellington Center Big Band conducted by Eli Yamin joined together in honor of this legendary icon of American Jazz, with tap dance performances by emerging raw talent, contemporary soloists and leading tap masters including Brenda Bufalino, Ayodele Casel, Mercedes Ellington, Sarah Reich, Caleb Teicher, Sam Weber, Jossette, Joseph Wiggan and others. Duke Ellington composed a number of songs specifically for tap dancers, and many of America's greatest tap dancers worked with Duke Ellington. Ellington wrote tunes such as Bojangles and Tap Dancers Blues, and incorporated the seminal tap dance solo David Dance Before the Lord into his Concert of Sacred Music, often performed by tap dance virtuoso Bunny Briggs and the elegant rhythm tap dancer Buster Brown (1960's to 1980's). The Library of Congress "Tap Dance in America" Database, created by Constance Valis Hill, lists 195 records in their search engine under Ellington/Tap Dance.
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