Duke Ellington Dancers Depart for Festival in Netherlands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 1996

Duke Ellington Dancers Depart for Festival in
Netherlands

What:

Bell Atlantic and The Duke Ellington School of the Arts are
hosting a send-off rally for 15 dancers who were invited by
Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands to perform on May
17 at The Stichting, Multi-Kulturele Aktiziteiten Utrecht,
an international dance festival in Amsterdam.

The rally will create a festival-like atmosphere with
popcorn, balloons, music, dancers, and cheering students
shaking pompoms and throwing confetti.

Why:

The rally seeks to instill pride, confidence and
camaraderie in Duke Ellington's student body. The trip
will allow the dancers to serve as ambassadors for the
District of Columbia Public School System and the United
States of America.

Where:

Duke Ellington School of the Arts
35th and R Streets, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(NOTE: Weather permitting, the event will be held in
front of the building. If the weather is poor, the
event will be held in the school's theater.)

When:

School Rally:
Wednesday, May 15, 1996
2:00 p.m.

Airport Departure:
Dulles Airport, Northwest Airlines, Flight No. 36Q at 6
p.m.

Who:

Franklin Smith, Superintendent of D.C. Public
Schools; William Freeman, president and CEO,
Bell Atlantic - Washington; Aubrey Sarvis, vice
president of Federal Relations, Bell Atlantic;
Marie Johns, vice president of External affairs,
Bell Atlantic - Washington; Peggy Cooper Cafritz,
founder and president, Ellington Fund;
Carolyn Wilson, principal, Duke Ellington School of
the Arts; Richard Klein, director, Duke Ellington
School of the Arts; Lynn Welters, dance department
chairperson, Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Contact:

Bell Atlantic: Michel Daley, 202-392-1021
Duke Ellington: Lynn Welters, 202-282-0123
Duke Ellington Parent Contact: Shirley Terrell,
703-370-0733

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