Arts Highlights

From the Performing Arts:

Excellence is what we strive for, and our musical ensembles demonstrate what that can look and sound like!

On a Sunday in November, D-E’s Stage Band, led by faculty member Robert DeBellis, hosted their Jazz Brunch for friends and family. Highlights included Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “One Note Samba” and Quincy Jones’s “Soul Bossa Nova”. It was a treat for the ears!

Following the Jazz Brunch was the annual Winter Concert, featuring the Middle & Upper School Orchestra with Upper School Chorus. The show began with the Middle School Percussion Ensemble and their rendition of Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues” followed by the Middle and Upper Winds & Brass Ensembles, StringJam, Middle & Upper School Orchestras, and Upper School Chorus. Star Wars’ fans may have recognized the finale piece, “Duel Of the Fates” from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999). BRAVO to all of our ensembles for their fantastic performances!

From the Visual Arts:

To begin the year, the Visual Art and Design Department made a request to all faculty and staff: to submit photo highlights from their summer. The photo initiative culminated into the first Swartley Gallery exhibit of the year, the #AllStaff Summer Rewind: A Community

Exhibit. The showcase was a lovely moment for community members across the divisions to connect with each other and bring in the fall season.

The community-sharing continued but with a spotlight on faculty members John McCabe and Chris Kelly! The two presented a joint photography exhibit, “New York: Then and Now” which by its name took a look at the history of New York through their lens. Photos were accompanied by captions of the time and place they were taken, bringing to life the past and present.

Finally, D-E invited photographer and artist Sylvie Harris and their work “Lineage of Labor” to the Swartley Gallery. Sylvie is a Brooklyn-based artist and this particular body of work looks at challenging patriarchy and celebrating the craft in what would be considered “domestic work.”

Large handwoven tapestries, quilts, and garments hung across the gallery with select photographs both displayed separately and woven into the fiber art pieces. Sylvie’s work moved us to think about what is considered labor and art as it relates to gender and for that we are grateful.

From the Theatre Arts:

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” says the fairy Puck in

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Despite Puck’s remarks, the mortals that graced D-E’s stage were spectacular! The plot thickened as the fairy Puck put a spell on two Athenian couples, causing chaos and mischief. Against the neon and psychedelic backdrop, Upper and Middle School students gave a riveting performance.

Stay tuned for the Upper School’s Winter Musical, Mamma Mia! And the Middle School’s Spring production of Willy Wonka JR! Online tickets will be available soon, see below!

S A N M C E FOR ADDITIONAL CONTENT ON D ETOD A Y . O RG

ONLINE ONLY! Catch even more highlights from D-E Performing Arts and Visual Arts & Design when you scan the QR Code or visit d-e.org/arts, including links to e-programs, video clips, online ticket ordering information, and more!