Arts

At Waterford, education in the arts is an essential part of a child’s learning.

The arts promote the health and well-being of children, including academic and personal growth, critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as imagination, creativity and innovation. With this in mind, Waterford has developed an exceptional fine and performing arts program designed to enrich and enliven the school’s classical liberal arts curriculum.


Waterford Arts at a Glance

50 Annual Performances

of dance, theater,
and music

91 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

awarded to Waterford students in 2023

83,500 Combined
Square Feet

of visual and performing arts buildings

12 Terms of Art

required of Upper School students
(6 in performing
and 6 in visual art)

Waterford students are exposed to the arts early and often. Students across campus are engaged in artistic endeavors on a daily basis. Music fills the halls as you walk through the performing arts building, and lines from Shakespeare echo from the Black Box Theater. Regular exhibits and performances bring the Waterford community together to enjoy the achievements of its students.

The curriculum begins in Preschool and provides an increasingly diverse matrix of opportunity as students advance through the program. In Middle and Upper School, students can explore a range of disciplines including theater, dance, strings, band, chorus, voice ensembles, jazz, chamber music, photography, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, painting, and design. The arts at Waterford give students the opportunity to develop techniques for creative expression, and to thrive as creative learners and thinkers.

Performing Arts

Waterford’s Performing Arts program gives students the opportunity to explore creative expression through their bodies, their voices, and through musical instruments. We see performance as a key element in each student’s development as a learner, and so opportunities for performance exist in each division of the school. Once in Upper School, students are required to study Dance, Music, or Theater for six terms. Led by highly trained artist-teachers, Waterford students learn to give voice and shape the intangible part of what it means to be human.

Concerts & Performances

With 50 Annual Performances each year, Waterford students from our Lower School through Upper School learn the importance of performing live for their families, friends and community.

Visual Arts

Waterford’s Visual Arts program provides an intensive, thoughtfully crafted experience for every child, from youngest to oldest. We offer our students an opportunity to grow and thrive and discover themselves as artists. Dedicated time with specialists starts in Kindergarten. Middle School students pursue six terms of visual arts. Upper School students are required to study either Studio Arts or Photography for two years, and can then choose to pursue these at the AP level. Our students study alongside passionate artist-teachers who provide guidance and inspiration in all of the ways art can convey joy and meaning.

Arts Facilities

With 83,500 combined square feet of visual and performing arts buildings, students have the resources to ignite their passions in the arts.