About the Arts at Dalton

The school's philosophy is premised on first-hand experience, and this is the foundation of the Arts at Dalton. The dance, drama, music, and visual arts departments express the soul of the Dalton program. With the Performing Arts Center, the Martin Theater, and extensive dance, visual, and media arts studios, the school offers its students access to outstanding facilities. However, the true strength of the arts program comes from the faculty - professionals in their fields. These teachers guide and educate the students with the utmost dedication and enthusiasm, always sharing the personal passions that brought them to careers in the arts.

Each course provides a non-competitive environment where students can shed their inhibitions, expand their focus, discover a talent, and find their voice. It is not surprising that so many students dedicate a large portion of their time and energy to the arts. High School students often discover that what begins as a requirement for graduation ends as one of the defining features of their Dalton career. Each year, nearly a third of the school's graduating seniors choose seminar-based independent programs in Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, and Dance. These Senior Projects often lead to community-wide exhibitions and performances that herald the central role of the arts in our school. Students' artistic achievements - realized through rigorous, in-depth work - often parallel, integrate, and synthesize the academic experiences that have shaped and informed their careers at Dalton.