School Life

Arts

All School Choral & African Drumming Concert 2023

Save the Date for our All School Choral & African Drumming Concert next Tuesday, May 23 at 6:00 PM here on campus. We hear there’s a throwback 80s & 90s theme for some of the performances.

Cabaret Night 2023

Save the Date because Monday, May 22 is our Music Department’s final Cabaret Night. The Jazz Workshop & Stage Band classes will be performing a mix of cumbia and jazz pieces with special guest, the talented trumpeter, Eddie Allen! We invite D-E families, students, faculty/staff to join us in Hajjar Auditorium at 7:00 PM then. It will surely be a fantastic time!

D-E Performing Arts Presents Willy Wonka Jr., May 12-13!

“Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do,” The Middle School Production of Willy Wonka JR. was a feast for the eyes! Congratulations to everyone involved.

Click here for a lookback at the show's official TheatreFare Program(PDF)

Swartley Senior Spotlight Exhibit 2023

A Look Back: D-E Music Dept. Proudly Presents "East Meets South" Orchestra Extravaganza Concert

We enjoyed performances by the D-E Upper School Orchestra, StringJam, StageBand, Middle School Orchestra, StageBand, Strings, & Percussion, and Lower School Orchestra & Band. "East Meets South" was the theme of the 2023 Orchestra Extravaganza Concert, performing on Friday, April 14 at 7 PM in Schenck Auditorium.  D-E Concerto Competition Winners Oriana Huang and Matthew Zhu were also featured. Finally we were thrilled to have Latin Grammy winner, saxophonist Harlinson Lozano, play with our ensembles. 

A Look Back: Swartley Gallery Presents "Crochet & Play" by Artist Daniela Solovey '17

In April, D-E's Swartley Gallery featured "Crochet and Play" -- a colorfully comforting space for imaginative play, that transported users to a tactile land of nostalgia. The comically large forms were all meticulously crocheted with two-toned yarns that created distinctive, unrepeatable patterns. 

D-E alumna Daniela Solovey '17 is a New York based product designer and Parsons School of Design graduate. Having always been attracted to bright colors and bold fonts, Daniela hopes to bring her striking and colorful flare to the design world.

A Look Back: Mamma Mia!

WOW & BRAVO to the cast and crew of Mamma Mia, this year's Upper School musical! D-E's Schenck Auditorium was filled to capacity for a 3-show run earlier this year, and what a crowd pleaser it was... at every performance everyone was on their feet and having a ball singing along with beloved favorites like "Dancing Queen", "Super Trooper", "Voulez Vous", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", and, (of course) "Mamma Mia". Thank you to all our students and faculty and staff who were involved in making this an exciting, memorable series of performances! 

A Look Back: Feb. 9 All-School Choral & African Drumming/Dance Ensembles Concert

D-E Performing Arts proudly showcased the Music Department’s All-School Choral & African Drumming and Dance Ensembles Winter Concert on Thursday, Feb. 9, in Hajjar Auditorium. Our choral students from Lower, Middle and Upper Schools (all!) had a wonderful show to share with the community, including songs like “Footloose”, “I Won’t Say I’m in Love”, and more. 

After a brief intermission, chairs and stage were moved away to make room for a fantastic performance by our D-E Grades 7 and 8 African Drumming & Dance ensembles!  The audience was encouraged to participate together with our drummers and dancers  as they performed traditional dances of the Ewe people of Ghana, Togo and Benin, in West Africa. The auditorium was filled with energy.

Bravo to all our ensembles!


Feb. 6 Concert "Mixes" Stage Band, Chorus and Jazz Workshop for Exciting "Encounter!"

What happens when D-E's Upper School music ensembles 'meet-up' for a 'musical mash-up' in a live performance? In a word: "Encounter"! On Monday, February 6, D-E Performing Arts' Music Department proudly presented its “Encounter: The Stage Band Meets the Chorus and Jazz Workshop” Concert. Featured songs include “Quarterback Sneak,” “Best Day of My Life,” and “The Look of Love”. Bravo to all our "Encounter" performers! 

Swartley Gallery Exhibit Features Sabrina Weld, Ceramic Artist

For D-E's first exhibit of the 2023 calendar year, we are thrilled to present Ceramic Artist Sabrina Weld and her exhibit “headSpace” in the Swartley Gallery.

Sabrina’s work centers around exploring objects as actors, having worked in professional puppetry after receiving her BFA in ceramic sculpture from Alfred U. 

Sabrina now mainly works with clay and paperclay, drawing inspiration from folk art, mythology, and fairytales. The whimsy and animus in her sculptures is apparent and speaks to their complexity as works of art.

The exhibit is open from January 20 to February 14, 2023. To learn more, follow Sabrina on Instagram @sabweld 

A Look Back: "Lineage of Labor" Swartley Gallery Series 2022-'23 Exhibit #3

D-E was privileged to host artist Sylvie Harris and her exhibition, "Lineage of Labor" in Swartley Gallery earlier this year. 

Sylvie Harris is a Brooklyn-based artist
whose work celebrates domesticity while also addressing the challenges of societal expectations within the patriarchy. Harris graduated in 2022 with an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago where she was also a Curatorial Assistant at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and the recipient of the 2021 Stuart Abelson Graduate Research Fellowship in Krakow, Poland. Her recent solo exhibitions have also been featured at The Ancestry of Home at The Arcade Gallery in Chicago. Her work has also been included in numerous group exhibitions including at Old Main Gallery in Bozeman, Montana and the Hokin Gallery at Columbia College in Chicago. 

Jazz Rock Concert 2022

It was the last day of Winter Break which meant students, faculty, staff, parents, and friends come together to see the Jazz Rock concert! Jazz Rock is an extracurricular program that students audition for to perform live in the winter and spring. The anticipation is always high, and the show didn’t disappoint. We had outstanding performances by D-E musicians and vocalists, featuring songs like “Valerie,” “9 to 5,” and “Ain’t Nobody.” Happy Holidays to everyone!

Winter Handbell & Concert 2022

December continued to offer wonderful opportunities to celebrate the performing arts! On Tuesday, December 13 at 7 PM,  the Upper School A Capella, Choral, and Handbell Ensembles performed in Schenck Auditorium. D-E friends and families enjoyed wonderful numbers like “Jingle Bells,” “The Skaters Waltz,” and more!

D-E Performing Arts presents the Winter Concert featuring Middle/Upper School Ensembles! Friday, December 2

The winter season brings so many disciplines to the spotlight! On  Friday, December 2, D-E Performing Arts is proud to present the Middle & Upper School Orchestra & Choral Ensembles Winter Concert.

Students have been practicing diligently leading up to this event, and D-E families and friends can expect a riveting performance! The concert will be held in Schenck Auditorium in the Campus Center, at 7:00 PM.

The event is free and will include compositions by Duke Ellington, Mozart, John Philip Sousa, Paganini, and John Williams. 
Jazz On! D-E Families enjoyed the Upper School Stage Band’s "Jazz Brunch" on Sunday, November 20! Congratulations to our Stage Band musicians and Director Rob DeBellis, for a spectacular time and performance, featuring Bossa nova style music, as well as D-Elicious bagels and beverages! Bravo!  

A Midsummer Night's Dream | The D-E Theatre Department's Fall 2022 Play

BRAVO and Congratulations to the cast and crew of the Fall Play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare, for a 'dreamy' and most memorable set of performances! 

In case you missed it, click below for the TheatreFare Program and learn about the Cast & Crew!
Click here for our "A MidSummer Night's Dream" eProgram! 

About "A MidSummer Night's Dream"

Summer is long over, but the D-E Theatre Department has other plans! This year’s Fall Play, featuring both Middle and Upper School students as well as some dramatically-inclined (and D-Edicated) faculty/staff) is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Set in Athens and Fairyland, this Shakespeare comedy consists of five intertwining plots of love, magic, and mischief! Performances are set for Friday, November 11 & Saturday, Nov. 12 in Hajjar Auditorium on the 2nd floor of the D-E Campus Center! Here’s to our budding D-E thespians and theatre lovers alike. 


 

A Look Back: New York: Then and Now, Swartley Gallery Series 2022-'23 Exhibit #2

Visitors to Swartley Gallery enjoyed "New York: Then and Now," a striking photography exhibit by faculty members John McCabe and Chris Kelly. The exhibit was open from October 25, 2022 to November 21, 2022. Congratulations Mr. McCabe and Mr. Kelly, and thank you for sharing your artwork and inspiration with the D-E community! 

A Look Back: "Summer Rewind" Swartley Gallery Series 2022-'23 Exhibit #1

 
 
A picture is worth a thousand words, and we have plenty! Our first Swartley Art Gallery was "Summer Rewind: A Community Exhibit" -- a summer "photo share" initiative by staff members across campus, divisions, departments, and offices. The exhibit was on display in the Swartley Art Gallery from September 23, 2022 to October 20, 2022. Thank you to all those who contributed to this fun exhibit! 

Welcome!


A structured involvement in the arts unleashes the kind of creativity that can invigorate one’s entire learning experience. Studying the arts can also help a student grasp mathematical and visual concepts, develop critical literacy, and see patterns across academic disciplines.

At Dwight-Englewood, the arts play an important role from Preschool through the 12th grade.

All Lower School students learn how to listen to and create music. One activity that defines the Lower School experience is the Creating Original Opera program, in which all fifth-graders participate. Additionally, our studio-art program offers children the opportunity to explore many forms of visual art. Students work from both their own imagination and direct observation. By starting out early in life making art, our students ignite a lifelong love for the arts.

At the Middle School level, drama, music, and studio art challenge students to become confident and imaginative innovators. This growth continues in the Upper School, where a program such as Jazz Rock helps aspiring singers and musicians select the right composition to show-case their talents.

In the Upper School, students can choose from courses in studio art, sculpture, ceramics, and photography/video production; theater courses that explore acting technique, writing for the stage, production, and the technical arts; and music courses in orchestra and chamber ensembles, chorus, stage band, or handbell choir.

One of the most exciting things about Dwight-Englewood’s arts program is that so many of our instructors boast significant professional experience. Many are active on Broadway, play in musical ensembles, or pursue visual-arts careers. By sharing their real-world experience with students, our teachers serve to inspire and to prepare a new guard made up both of people who make art and those who deeply appreciate it.

Private Music Lessons Program Information for 2022-2023

D-E offers opportunities for students to be able to study with our professional faculty in a familiar and convenient environment. To learn more click here for D-E's 2022-2023 Private Music Lessons Program Booklet (PDF). If you wish to view/download a 2022-2023 Private Music Lessons Contract (PDF) please click here.

Questions? Email Jake Lloyd at: lloyd@d-e.org
Mailing Address: 315 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631
gps: 81 Lincoln Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-9500 Email: d-e@d-e.org
Located in Englewood, New Jersey, Dwight-Englewood is a greater New York City area private school with a rigorous college prep curriculum for boys and girls in preschool through grade 12.