Mildred Dixon (November 21, 1904 – September 18, 2001) was a dancer at the

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

in Harlem who became a longtime companion of composer and musician Duke Ellington, and manager of his company. She was born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

to parents from Africville,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

. She became a dancer and moved to New York in the mid-1920s, where she became known as part of the dance couple, "Mildred and Henri."

Early life

Mildred Dixon was born and grew up in Boston, where she attended local schools. Her parents had emigrated from Africville,

. They were descendants of Black Loyalists, freed American slaves who had been relocated to the area after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

by British forces, who had promised them freedom. She and Ellington visited her extended family in Africville throughout her life. South Boston had a thriving black community, which included descendants of freedmen and free blacks who had migrated from the South after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, for better opportunities in the North. She learned

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...

and other forms of stage dancing. Dixon moved to New York to work as a dancer. In the mid 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance, she joined the

in Harlem, a premiere nightspot in the city. She gained renown together with Henri Wessell; they were a dance couple known as "Mildred and Henri". "Mildred and Henri" have been described as one of the "most exciting dance acts" in America. She met Ellington on December 4, 1927, the first night he and his orchestra played at the club. It became his venue for years. They worked together on numerous productions including: "It’s the blackberries," "Springbirds" and "Pepper-pot Revue". They started a relationship in 1928 and, in 1930, Dixon and Ellington moved in together at 381 Edgecombe Avenue, Apt. 142,

Sugar Hill, Manhattan Sugar Hill is a National Historic District in the Harlem and Hamilton Heights neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City, bounded by West 155th Street to the north, West 145th Street to the south, Edgecombe Avenue to the east, and Amsterda ...

. Their household included Ellington's son and his parents. While Dixon was Ellington's companion (1928 – 1938), she worked as manager of his company Tempo Music. During this decade, Ellington wrote his most famous works: "

It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. It is now accepted as a jazz standard, and jazz historian Gunther Schuller characterized it as "now legendary" and "a pro ...

" (1932); " Mood Indigo" (1930), "

Sophisticated Lady "Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington. Background Additional credit is given to publisher Irving Mills whose words were added to the song by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approva ...

" (1933), " Solitude" (1934), and "

In a Sentimental Mood "In a Sentimental Mood" is a jazz composition by Duke Ellington. He composed the piece in 1935 and recorded it with his orchestra during the same year. Lyrics were written by Manny Kurtz; Ellington's manager Irving Mills gave himself a perc ...

" (1935). When Dixon moved in with Ellington, his son

Mercer Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington (March 11, 1919 – February 8, 1996) was an American musician, composer, and arranger. His father was Duke Ellington, whose band Mercer led for 20 years after his father's death. Biography Early life and education Ellin ...

was age 10. Mercer later wrote in his biography of his father that he considered Dixon his mother, as he lived with her for a decade. Mercer wrote: "She had innate class comparable to Ellington’s own." Their relationship ended after he became involved with someone else.

Legacy

* Mildred is the namesake of Ellington's song "

" (1933) *

Joe Sealy Joseph Arthur Sealy (born 16 August 1939) is a Canadian jazz musician. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2010. Awards * Juno Awards of 1982 - Nominee for Best Jazz Album - '' Clear Vision'' * Juno Awards of 1995 - Nominee for Best Contempor ...

’s ''Africville Stories in Music'' contains the song "Duke’s in Town", which is about the visits Ellington and Dixon made to Africville. * Dixon's cousin from Africville, Clara Carvery Adams, is the namesake of Duke Ellington's song "Clara"Bruce Nunn, "Mr. Nova Scotia Know-it-All"
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Mildred American female dancers 1904 births 2001 deaths People from Boston American people of Canadian descent African-American female dancers African-American dancers 20th-century American dancers 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people