From Carnegie Hall to Duke

Enjoy acclaimed performances at a discount from Duke Arts Presents

A collage shows photos of pianist Michelle Cann, Kodo One Earth and Thomanerchor Leipzig
Duke Arts Presents events provides a 25% discount for staff and faculty. Photo collage by Paul Figuerado

Attending performance arts of all kinds at Duke is a benefit Shana McAlexander thoroughly embraces. But she never thought of herself as a huge advocate for the arts at large until she really pondered her connection to Duke Arts Presents.

When the 鈥 2024-25 season brochure arrived, she went through every page and tore out the ones that included events she wanted to attend. Dance performances of all kinds and powerful Japanese drumming were among the scraps of paper she severed from the booklet and saved as reminders.

Without conscious thought, McAlexander, an Assistant Research Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, had made a vision board of everything she desired.

鈥淭here鈥檚 just so many resources here at Duke, sometimes it鈥檚 actually kind of overwhelming how many cool things we can go to,鈥 McAlexander said.

McAlexander often uses the 25% discount for staff and faculty through Duke Arts Presents to purchase more than one ticket 鈥 and decides later whom she will bring with her to the performances.

Duke Arts鈥 Director of Programming Aaron Shackelford said support and involvement from Duke community members is vital.

鈥淎 lot of the work we bring in is with an eye toward both engaging with the ideas and the work that鈥檚 happening at Duke as well as opportunities to bring our community together,鈥 Shackelford said.

For the 2024-25 season, programming is varied and powerful. Pianist performs Feb. 21 with 鈥淭he Women of Chicago鈥檚 Black Renaissance,鈥 a program that pairs Cann鈥檚 renditions of works with spoken commentary.聽

A comedic puppet show called 鈥溾 runs from Feb. 28 to March 2 and addresses themes of impatience and loneliness.

And is a taiko drumming troupe that performs March 23 鈥 and is one of the performances McAlexander highlighted to see.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a false stereotype that engineers aren鈥檛 connected to their creative side because it鈥檚 such a big part of design. And I want to encourage all of our engineering folks to take advantage,鈥 said McAlexander, whose research interests include STEM education and representation in science and engineering careers. 

And to explore art at all levels on campus at a discount is a treasure, she said.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to see these artists for these prices in New York,鈥 Shackelford said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real benefit of working at Duke to have this access to these artists. A number of these artists are coming straight from places like Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall to Duke. That鈥檚 a real benefit as a staff member or a faculty member to get to see these artists at these prices right in your own backyard.鈥

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