Festival of the Arts

The Festival of the Arts is a culmination of GCDS student accomplishments from the year across music, dance, visual, and performing arts.

At GCDS, the arts are a central part of our curriculum from Nursery through Grade 12. Students are taught fundamental skills early on and are encouraged to develop a passion in any or all of our core art programs.

Below is a full itinerary of events for our 2024 Festival of the Arts. Please note, some activities require reservations, and others are limited to a specific audience.

We hope you can join us for our two Grand Opening Events:

Upper School Arts Exhibition on May 2

6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Stanwich Road Campus

and

Festival of the Arts Grand Opening on May 5

3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at PAC Lobby and LES, UES, MS buildings

Details for all Festival of the Arts events below.

Thursday, May 2

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Pre-Kindergarten Play

Location: Lower Elementary
Invited: Parents and Guardians

5:30 - 6:30 p.m. - Upper School Acting Class Performance

Location: Band Room, Stanwich Road Campus
All Are Welcome

6:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Upper School Visual Art & Senior Portfolio Exhibition

Location: Stanwich Road Campus
Invited: Parents and Guardians

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. - Performing Arts Diploma Showcase

Location: Band Room, Stanwich Road Campus
Invited: Parents and Guardians

Sunday, May 5

3:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Festival of the Arts Grand Opening

Location: K-12 Visual Arts Exhibition in PAC Lobby and LES, UES, MS Buildings
Invited: All Are Welcome
Begin your journey in the PAC lobby, where you will find K-12 visual art pieces on display. Then, visit each division on Old Church Road (LES, UES, and MS), where you can enjoy refreshments, live music, and division-specific art exhibits. Please note that the LES exhibit will only feature artworks from Grades K-2.

Thursday, May 9

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Nursery Play

Location: Lower Elementary
Invited: Parents and Guardians

5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Grandparents & Grandfriends Upper School Reception

Location: Stanwich Road Campus
Invited: All Grandparents and Grandfriends, RSVP Required

7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Upper School Music Concert

Location: Performing Arts Center
Invited: All Are Welcome

Friday, May 10

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Grandparents & Grandfriends Day

Location: Old Church Road Campus
Invited: All Grandparents and Grandfriends, RSVP Required

Saturday, May 11

4:00 - 5:30 p.m. & 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Dance Showcase

Location: Performing Arts Center
Invited: All Are Welcome, RSVP Required, Limited Seating

Monday, May 13 - 17

Lama Tenzin Yignyen - Sand Mandala Creation

Location: Upper Elementary

Wednesday, May 15

6:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Upper Elementary Instrumental Concert

Location: Performing Arts Center
Invited: All Are Welcome

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. - Middle School Instrumental Concert

Location: Performing Arts Center
Invited: All Are Welcome

Thursday, May 16

9:00 - 9:20 a.m. & 9:30 - 9:50 a.m. - First Grade Plays

Location: Lower Elementary
Invited: Parents and Guardians

Tuesday, May 21

8:30 - 8:50 a.m. - First Grade Play

Location: Lower Elementary
Invited: Parents and Guardians

Tuesday, May 21 - 22

6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Upper Elementary School Musical: Matilda

Location: Performing Arts Center
Invited: Parents and Guardians, RSVP Required, Tickets available beginning 5/8/2024

Thursday, May 23

8:30 - 8:50 a.m. & 9:30 - 9:50 a.m. - First Grade Plays

Location: Lower Elementary
Invited: Parents and Guardians

Tuesday, May 28

7:00 p.m. - Upper School Students Perform in the HALO Awards

Location: Palace Theatre, 100 E Main St, Waterbury, CT 06702
Invited: All Are Welcome, Purchase Tickets Here by 5/20/24.

Thursday, May 30

6:00 - 7:30 p.m. - Upper School Cabaret Night

Location: Band Room, Stanwich Road Campus
Invited: All Are Welcome