I love my town.

Torrington is abuzz with excitement and activity and one is hard pressed to find parking.

At the main stage of the Warner Theatre there’s a Lisa Lampanelli show that’s nearly sold out and according to the Warner box office, in the Warner’s Nancy Marine Studio, the IMPACT performance put on by the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory DID sell out! At the Arts Desire, there’s a cocktails and canvas event and at the Artwell on Main street there’s the “Night of Excitement”!  Meanwhile Diane Concannon’s team from Platinum Salon was cutting the hair of volunteers on behalf of a St. Baldrick’s benefit.  If last weekend was a weekend away, the world flooded back in to Torrington to be part of the arts/culture scene.

My wife and daughter are among those out and about tonight as they’re seeing Nutmeg’s IMPACT show. Friday night had been the night out for me because I contributed to the Nutmeg’s kickstarter campaign and I had chosen the package which included the VIP reception/rehearsal show. When our son is older and can handle sitting in the seats for a dance, it’s possible we may see the shows together!

The IMPACT show was incredible. Seeing a performance of this magnitude is an important reminder that these performers are pre-professional dancers preparing for their careers right here in our midst and they have A-list masters of ballet creating the choreography and teaching them.  Joan Kunsch, Eleanor D’Antuono, Victoria Mazzarelli, Tim Melady, Kirk Peterson, Brian Reeder, Cynthia Quinn and Moses Pendleton and Susan Szabo all choreographed dances for the show. Among the attendees of Friday’s reception included some prior Nutmeg alumni, some representatives from the Torrington arts community like Timothy Alexandre Wallace of Studio 59 and singer, songwriter Robert C Fullerton and many, many members of The Nutmeg family.

We as a community have turned a corner.

No longer can one complain, “There’s nothing to do here” and be taken seriously. There are now multiple options for every taste and interest and budget.

At this point, Torrington is in a new stage.  We are all a part of this new age of arts and culture and we can help to make it thrive. All we need to do is to participate in our own ways. If we make choices to participate in new arts/culture experiences as new opportunities present themselves to our community, this culture will accelerate beyond our expectations and it will be sooner than you think before you find that Torrington is a vacation destination for those who wish to visit a thriving arts community and experience  something truly wonderful.