The Day's best Arts photos of 2018
Members of the Waterford High School Drama Club, from left, Sophia Kasem-Beg, Murphy Ryan, Katie Robillard, Jonathan Dryden-Jaffe, and Lily Watson rehearse a scene in their production of "The Complete History of America (abridged)" Friday, January 12, 2018. The show is the 50th production in the history of the program and will open February 1st at 7 p.m. with shows on the 2nd and 3rd at the same time. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
A crew from John Grade Studio assemble a large immersive sculpture as part of the exhibit "Murmur: Arctic Realities" in the Collins Gallery in the Thompson Exhibit building Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at Mystic Seaport. The sculpture will depict a pingo, a hill of ice that grows over centuries in the Arctic's higher latitudes then collapses, pockmarking the tundra. The sculpture is covered in carved Alaskan yellow cedar and will be enhanced by virtual reality. The exhibit opens January 20th through April 22nd. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
The Shoreline Ringers community hand bell choir rehearses under the direction of Jane Nolan Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at St. David' Episcopal Church in Ledyard. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Instructor Bob Noreika's Fearless and Fluid Watercolor or Acrylic class at the Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Artist Joy Monroe, left, paints the face of model Crystal Azor as they get ready for Naked Canvas on Thursday, February 1, 2018, at the Crocker House Ballroom. Twenty-five artists and models participated in Hygienic Art's second annual live body painting competition that included a runway show. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Zo Wallick, left, of Willington, hangs her oil painting as Christine Barker, of Norwich, looks for a place for her acrylic piece on Saturday, January 27, 2018 for the Salon des Independants at Hygienic Galleries. The 39th annual show that is open to all artists without censorship, judges or fees, continues through February 10, 2018. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Professional dancer Cameron Gonzalez entertains the crowd during a break from the fashion show at Hygienic Art's 10th annual Fashion in the Ballroom Friday, February 2, 2018 at the Crocker House Ballroom. The event, highlighting the work of local designers, is a fundraiser for the Hygienic Art Association. Featured designs include FTM, Sect Noir, Anna Lucas, Susan Hickman, Reizer, Ruba Ruba, and C-Kin. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Art teacher Lynn Martell talks to students on the staircase of the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London about the two 1924 paintings by Noank artist Thomas F.Petersen of whaling ships during a homeschool workshop at the museum about New London and its connection with whaling Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. During the workshop after studying the paintings the students visited the New London: The Whaling City display in the main gallery, where portraits and paintings of ships involved in whaling in New London are located, and built their own small ships. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Paris Fotiadis, 13, left, high-fives Mason Sooho, 8, after performing the Lion Dance as dancers with Calvin Chin's Martial Arts Academy, of Newton MA, celebrate the Chinese New Year on Sunday, February 18, 2018 at Mohegan Sun. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Oscar Stallard, 5 of New London, leans in to pretend kiss a puppet while walking backstage after the Tanglewood Marionette's presentation of The Dragon King on Sunday, February 25, 2018, at the East Lyme Community Center. The show was presented by the East Lyme Puppetry Project and was a fundraiser for the food pantry at Care & Share of East Lyme. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Lead singer Al Barr performs "State of Massachusetts" as The Dropkick Murphys open their St. Patrick's Day Tour to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Saturday, February 24, 2018. Agnostic Front and Bim Skala Bim opened the show. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
People participate in an advanced salsa dance class at the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut in downtown New London Friday, March 16, 2018. The dance class is through New London Adult Education. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Joy Garrett, an 8th grader at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, plays the piano as she warms up with other singers during rehearsals for the New London Talent Show on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at the Garde Arts Center in New London. The 8th annual talent show features 18 different acts from across the region with everything from different styles of dance, to poetry, to guitarists and rap music. The show is at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Garde with a limited number of tickets still available. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Corey Tenhagen, right, reacts as he gets a lap dance from Sutton Lee Seymour, a Drag Queen from New York City, during the Pink Eggs & Glam Drag Brunch on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in at The Social Bar and Kitchen in New London. The monthly event, organized by Sky Casper Events, rotates performers providing a variety of music, comedy and theater. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Dottie Yaworski performs a selection of country music classics to the lunchtime crowd at the Turnpike Cafe Monday, March 5, 2018. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Singer/songwriters Lyle Lovett, left, and Shawn Colvin take the stage for a special acoustic show to a packed house at The Garde Arts Center in New London Saturday, March 3, 2018. The two long-time friends started this first-time tour together March 1st in Pennsylvania and continue together through March 22nd. The show featured the two alternating playing their favorite songs and swapping stories about their lives and music in between. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Members of the cast and crew of The Connecticut Repertory Theater's production of "She Kills Monsters" rehearse a fight scene as one of the titular monsters Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the UConn theater department. Director Madeline Sayet, the daughter of Mohegan Tribe Medicine Woman Melissa Tantaquidgeon, is a renowned actor, playwright and director and was recently named to Forbes magazine's 30 under 30 in arts and entertainment. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Flautist Diamond Campbell rehearses with the Norwich Public Schools all city band for the annual All City Music Festival Monday, March 5, 2018 at Kelly Middle School. Choral students in the fourth and fifth grades and instrumental music students in fifth through eighth grades will perform in the Jacqueline Owens Auditorium at Kelly Middle School on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30 p.m.. The snow date will be Thursday.. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Captain Neal Kurk, with the Free Men of the Sea, addresses the crowd as the group gets ready for a small cannon demonstration during Pirate Days on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at the Mystic Seaport. The event continues tomorrow at the seaport from 10 a.m. with a treasure hunt, games, live question and answers and performances. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Instructor Josi Davis works with student Olive Fields, 7, of Niantic, on the piano during a coffee house for the String Theory School of Music on Sunday, April 8, 2018 in New London. This was the first monthly "casual recital" for the school at their new location at the former Little Red School House. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Rap coach Moe Steele, second from left, practices with the rappers from New London on their rap cypher, a collaboration of artists performing a rap, backstage in their dressing room before performing in the 8th annual New London Youth Talent Show at the Garde Arts Center in New London Saturday, April 7, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Dancers with the Albano Ballet Company, from left, Eric Carnes, Rachel Buder, Lilley Hohl and Chassity Anderson stretch at the ballet bar as they perform one of a series of dance vignettes for a lesson on the "the language of movement" to pre-K through 2nd grade students at Harbor School in New London, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. Joseph Albano, the company's founder and artistic director, narrated the lesson looking at various forms of dance. Albano, a New London native and founder of the Hartford Ballet, travels the state with his company presenting this program to schools six to eight times a year with sponsorship from Mohegan Sun., 2018. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
David Lutken, as Will Rogers, and the cast of the Goodspeed production of The Will Rogers Follies rehearses Friday, April 6, 2018. The show opens April 13th and runs through June 21st. Lutken stars as the famed humorist, social commentator and radio, stage and motion picture actor. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Dancers take the stage to open the show as New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde performs on her Melodrama tour Saturday, April 7, 2018 at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
People watch members of The Lions Den Dance Company of New London perform during the World Youth Day Celebration hosted by the Norwich Bully Busters at the Norwich City Hall parking garage Friday, May 4, 2018. Prior to the event National Youth Service Day awards were presented to youth in the Council Chambers of city hall. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Caitlyn Chapin, right, of Old Saybrook works on painting with her daughter Mae, 5, as her son John, 8 plays leap frog with Emma, 9, during a community free day on Sunday, May 6, 2018, at Florence Griswold Museum. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Connecticut College student, from left, Annie Breakstone looks on as Jacob Meltzer works on painting classmate Ayama Sequira to match a pavement mural dedicated to the memory of Chris Nelson on Thursday, May 10, 2018 in downtown New London. The project of painting someone into the environment was their final for an Art 210: Recoding Color class. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Members of the Waterford High School drama club rehearse scenes from their production of "Avenue Q- school edition" Friday, May 4, 2018 at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. The Tony Award-winning show, which imagines the puppets of a Sesame Street-like world all grown up, was developed at the National Music Theater Conference at the O'Neill in 2002. The Waterford students met with instructors from the National Theater Institute before rehearsing. Performances are May 10 through 12 at the high school. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Kayla Bailey, 13, wears headphones as she warms up in the hallway on Monday, May 14, 2018 before violin lessons with the Music City Strings Youth Players program at the New London Public Library. The program, part of the New London Community Orchestra, has a spring concert on Saturday, June 2, at the Clarke Center Auditorium. Signups for the free summer lessons, which start in late June, are still open at the library or online at nlcommuintyorchestra.org. . (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Georgene Foley-Didato, from left, Kathy Levanti, and instructor Nicole Naylor work on oil paintings underneath a crab apple tree that is almost in bloom on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford . The women are part of a weekly painting class out of Dragonfly Art Studio in Pawcatuck that takes turns working in the studio and outdoors at various locations. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Models Ayla Renee, left, and Lisa Ssico, both of Oakdale, check their look in the windows of the Norwich Arts Center before joining other models and designers showing upcycled fashions for the first "A NAC For Fashion" gala at the Norwich Arts Center Friday, May 11, 2018. Designers from around the region showed wearable art of mixed media from a nature theme. The models and designers paraded the fashion on City Hall Plaza before returning to the NAC for the gala. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Xinyi Li, 13, waits for instructions to start marching again as Norwich middle school instrumental music students practice marching and playing on the Fontaine Field track across from Kelly Middle School Thursday, May 17, 2018. The grand-funded instrumental music program in the Norwich middle schools will march in the city's Memorial Day parade. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Musician Matt McCauley, left, works with 5th grader Shelby Zito, 11, during a workshop as part of the Waterford Orchestra Festival Thursday, May 24, 2018 at Waterford High School. Over 200 string music students from the town's elementary, middle and high schools attended a series of workshops with professional musicians followed by an informal concert. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Students with the David Dorfman Dance Summer Intensive program and company members rehearse a piece on Monday, June 11, 2018, at Connecticut College's Myers Studio. The annual program finished Monday after a week of technique, lab, improv and choreography classes. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Choreographer James Gray and his assistant Katie Huff, right, work on the scene "Oom-Pah-Pah" with the cast of the Goodspeed production of Oliver! Monday, June 11, 2018 in East Haddam. The show, directed by Rob Ruggiero and starring Elijah Rayman as Oliver, Gavin Swartz as Artful Dodger, and Donald Corren as Fagin, opens June 29th. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Country music artist Martina McBride performs at the Garde Arts Center in New London Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Say Jilva Jamson performed outside the Garde Arts Center as part of International Make Music Day on Thursday, June 21, 2018. The Southeastern Connecticut chapter featured over 60 artists through New London County, from drum circles to hip-hop DJs to folk musicians. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Aubrie Mahon, 8, left, and Arielys Baez, 8, pound the beat on the floor as Felicia Hurley, with Writers Block InK, leads a group of third, fourth and fifth graders at Stanton Network School in Norwich on a tour performing African drumming and dance in classrooms around the school Friday, June 15, 2018. The students learned west African radiational rhythms with the help of Writers Block artists facilitated through the United Community and Family Services school-based health center to build self-confidence and support mental and physical wellness. Today's performances was the culmination of the academic-year-long program. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
The Gaudeno Bat dance group from Chino, Calif. perform during the Basque Fest on Parade Plaza in New London Saturday, June 23, 2018. The festival was hosted by the New England Basque Club. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Drum major Leslie Abreu directs members of the brass ensemble for the 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps as they play in front of the Alaska Coast exhibit and Juno, one of the two Beluga whales at Mystic Aquarium, Thursday, July 5, 2018 as part of the group's Brass and Belugas exhibition. Various sections of the corp played at different outdoor locations at the aquarium over the course of the day. This is the second year the corps had performed at the aquarium as an outreach even to raise their profile in the community. The 7th Regiment, founded in 2002 as a revival of the defunct Surfers Drum and Bugle Corps, and is made up of musicians ages 13-22 and competes in the Open class of the Drum Corps International (DCI) competition circuit. The corps in currently in the middle of their summer tour schedule around the east and midwest. Their annual friends and family performance is next weekend, July 15th, at Plainfield High School. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Acrobat Li Liu teachers some members of the audience a ribbon dance during her performance for children and their caregivers at the summer reading program kick-off at Wheeler Library in North Stonington Tuesday, June 27, 2018. Li, who began her acrobatic training at the age of six in China, has been touring the U.S. since 2003 after a stint with the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Baily Circus. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Rapper Pitbull (the stage name for Armando Christian P‡©rez) is surrounded by his backup dancers as he performs Thursday, June 28, 2018 at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Georgie Rose, right, works on her marionette "Astra", as Taylor Bibat, left, works on "Olly" during Marionette Performance, Design and Construction at the National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Tuesday, June 12, 2018. Participants will present their work Friday and Saturday at the O'Neill. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Zach Thomas conducts the Waterford Community Band on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, at Mystic River Park. The concert was part of the Summer Sounds Series which continues on Tuesday evenings though August. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Lillian Guess, from left, 3, of New London, plays the drums with Apache, of New York, and Oscar Stallard, 5 of New London, along Bank Street during the final day of Sailfest on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in New London. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
The actors portraying Canada geese look at their scripts while listening to directions from Cody Schmitt, tour actor director with Missoula Children's Theatre in Montana, in background, during the second day of rehearsal for the musical 'The Secret Garden' during Summer on Stage theater camp at the Garde Arts Center in New London Tuesday, July 17, 2018. The children have class and rehearsal Monday through Friday and at the end of the week have performances on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.. Week 2 of the program July 23-28 a new group of children will work to perform 'The Snow Queen' and Week 3, July 30-August 4, the play will be 'The Wizard of Oz'. Summer on Stage is through the Missoula Children's Theatre and Chicago's Compass Creative Dramatics. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Marie Anne Heft of Chester looks at the paintings in the Fence Artists Show on the lawn of the Old Lyme in during the Midsummer Festival in Old Lyme Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
During an art demonstration Ashleigh Brown of Waterford models for Shane DiVita of Montville while he paints a portrait of her at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts during Old Lyme's Midsummer Festival Saturday, July 28, 2018. DiVita in an alumnus of the academy. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Mary Kane, left, 6, of Waterford, works on walking on stilts as Eloise Masci, 6, of Groton, attempts to spin a plate during a circus arts class during the Thames Valley Music School Arts Camp on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at Connecticut College. The program, focusing on a variety of arts including music, dance and theater, is celebrating 25 years this summer. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Cuban-american pop star Camila Cabello performs on her Never Be the Same tour Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Carroll Mailhot, as The Witch, right, sings with Justin Carroll, as The Baker, and Audrey Rummel, as The Baker's Wife, during the Chestnut Street Playhouse production rehearsal of "Into the Woods" Monday, July 30, 2018. The show, directed by Violet Saylor, runs August 2nd through19th (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 7:30pm; Sundays 2:00pm). (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Bill Steinmayer, portraying author Herman Melville, opens the Mystic Seaport Museum's 33rd annual Moby Dick Marathon by reciting the first chapter from memory Tuesday, July 31, 2018 on board the historic whaleship Charles W. Morgan. Steinmayer's recitation would be followed by volunteers reading the book over the course of the next 24-hours. The seaport's marathon reading is billed as the longest-running such event. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Noah Todd, working for the summer with Flock Theater, works on the torso of a paper mache puppet on Thursday, August 2, 2018 as the face of Benedict Arnold looks on at Mitchell College. The puppets will be used in the groups annual Burning of Benedict Arnold parade and festival which will be held on September 7, 2018, in New London. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
Members of the Nimble Arts Circus perform at Parade Plaza on Sunday, August 5, 2018 in New London. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
The band Fusion performs during the last Summer SoundWaves concert of the season at Esker Point Beach in Groton Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Tricia and Jeff Semanick of Mystic look at the hammer and nail wood and metal sculpture by artist David Tanych, who has studios in Las Angeles and northern Vermont, during the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival in downtown Mystic Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. The event continues Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Virginia Johnson, Artistic Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, conducts a master class with dance students at Connecticut College Frday, September 28, 2018 in the Meyers Dance Studio. Johnson is a founding member of the company, which has a performance Saturday night at Conn's Palmer Auditorium. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Damara Bennett, Director of Children's Programming at the Eastern Connecticut Ballet, works with Sophia Monte, 11, of Stonington, on fitting the dancer's first pair of pointe shoes during a pointe shoe fitting session for young dancers with the Eastern Connecticut Ballet Saturday, September 15, 2018 in East Lyme. A first pointe shoe may last as long as six months; many dancers will outgrow them before they wear them out, according to Bennett. More experienced dancers will wear out a pair of pointe shoes more quickly. "Sometimes after one performance," Bennett added.
James, a former ballet dancer herself, figures she has fitted more than 10,000 pairs of pointe shoes in the three years she has been fitting for Freed. She travels all over the country to schools and companies sponsored by Freed. "Every dancer is different, every foot is different," she says of her job. "It's like finding the perfect shoe for Cinderella."
With her daughter, 11-year old Sophia, talking new pointe shoes with a classmate, Melissa Lin Monte explained the young dancer's enthusiasm. "She was so excited she woke up early this morning," she explained. "This is definitely a dream come true for her," she added.
About 50 dancers had appointments for pointe shoe fittings this weekend at ECB. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Melissa Jones Elementary School fourth graders from Guilford, spend time painting en plein air while they and their fellow students spend time at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Head puppeteer Dan Butterfield adjusts the clothing of a marionette before a performance of the East Lyme Puppetry Project's "We the People-the Story of David Bushnell, Ezra Lee and America's First Attack Submarine" at the East Lyme Community Center Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Saturday the group performed the first two acts of the play for invited guests of the community to receive feedback. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
The band The Locomotives play during the annual Farm Day at Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm in Lyme Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Ben Askew, center, portraying Fester has his makeup applied by Cindy Burdo, a parent volunteer, while his fellow cast member, Ethan Dieckman, portraying Lurch, stands in the background while they and the cast prepare backstage for opening night of the Ledyard High School Drama production of the musical "The Addams Family" at the school Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. The play will also be performed Friday and Saturday at 7p.m.. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Mice Addy Lanz, left, and Cora Lanz get ready in their dressing room with other mice and sailors at The Garde as the cast of the Eastern Connecticut Ballet production of The Nutcracker prepare for a dress rehearsal Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
The East Haven High School marching band color guard performs as the band competes in the 25th annual Norwich Free Academy Classic marching band festival Saturday, September 29, 2018. Eleven marching bands from across the state, plus one from Massachusetts, competed. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Arlo Jadamec, 4, tries his hand at the violin as his cousin, Benny Hyatt, 2, and grandmother Joyce Sargo, and Amy Leigh, left, of String Theory School of Music, offer encouragement during a "Musical Petting Zoo" at the Waterford Public Library Monday, August 6, 2018. The Leighs opened the event playing a short set before the children were brought forward to try anything from the electric guitars, the drum set, to violin and clarinet. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Members of the belly dancing group Sultan's Delight perform at the 6th annual Norwich Rotary Celebrate Diversity event Monday, September 17, 2018 at Howard T. Brown Memorial Park. The event featured food, music and dance to celebrate the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Norwich community. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Artist Renee Rhodes in her Killingworth studio with a model of her work "Athena Stands Watch" at left and two current, unnamed, works Thursday, August 16, 2018. A life-size casting of Athena stands at the corner of the Municipal Parking Lot on Eugene O'Neill Dr. in New London. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Dancers with the Eastern Connecticut Ballet rehearse the Halloween Waltz act of their annual Ballet Spooktacular show Friday, October 12, 2018 at The Katherine Hepburn Performing Arts Center in Old Saybrook. The show, which features three acts; Halloween Walz, Dancing Bones and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, will have two performances each this Saturday and Sunday at The Kate. This is the fifth year of the show which is the brainchild of ECB artistic director Gloria Govrin. Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to the performances and after the show, they will parade onstage, trick-or-treat throughout the decorated theater, and pose for photographs with the dancers. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
Lead man Bono, left, and bassist Adam Clayton, of Irish rockers U2, plays as the band perform on the final stop of the U.S. leg of their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Sun is the smallest venue on the tour, which resumes at the end of August in Berlin (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
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