Usdan
Encyclopedia
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
-based summer day camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
, situated on 200 acre (0.809372 km²) in the middle of the woods. Founded by tenor and violinist Andrew McKinley
Andrew McKinley
Andrew McKinley was an American operatic tenor, violinist, arts administrator, music educator, and school administrator. Although he mainly performed in the United States, he had an active international singing career with major opera companies and symphony orchestras from the 1940s through the...
, it opened in 1968 to 1,000 students, and now 1,700 "Usdanites" ages 6-18, come back annually. The camp was started by artists and Jewish community leaders. Its Executive Director is Dale Lewis
Dale Lewis
Dale Lewis is an Australian rules footballer from Swan Hill, Victoria. His preferred position is mid-fielder. He made his debut in 1990, and retired in 2001.Lewis played his entire professional AFL career with the Sydney Swans....
. It is named for the daughter and husband of Samuel Lemberg, a philanthropist.
Usdan is an intensive camp which focuses on creative and performing arts in particular. Famous alumni include singer Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, actress Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
, jazz singer Jane Monheit
Jane Monheit
Jane Monheit is a jazz and adult contemporary vocalist for Concord Records. She has collaborated with artists such as Michael Bublé, Ivan Lins, Terence Blanchard and Tom Harrell, and has received Grammy nominations for two of her recordings.-Early life:Jane Monheit was raised in Oakdale, New York...
, dancer Dara Adler, and musician Adam Abeshouse.
The camp is divided into four divisions based on grade level: Discovery - Grade K and 1; Partners in the Arts - Grades 2 and 3; Junior - Grade 4 through 6; Senior - Grade 7 through 12. Students have a choice of classes from the following disciplines: art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, language arts
Language arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, or theater. They must then choose a "major" (two fifty-minute periods) and a "minor" (one period) activity. The schedule is based around these two activities along with swimming at the pools, assembly at the 1,000-seat McKinley Amphitheater, and lunch at picnic tables at his/her major department for the entire four or seven week camp.
In 2008 Usdan celebrated it's 40th season. That year also marked Dale Lewis's 25th year as director of the Center.
History
In 1968, one thousand New York-area children arrived at the newly created Usdan Center to pursue their love of the arts. This extraordinary inaugural enrollment was testimony to the vision and dedication of the Center's founders. They included artists, educators, and communal leaders. The Center was created in collaboration with Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, under the guidance of Federation’s dynamic and inspirational leader, Dr. Maurice B. Hexter. He embraced the concept of arts education in a camp setting, and enlisted the partnership of a great philanthropist, Samuel Lemberg. Mr. Lemberg provided the initial donations to establish the Center, and to honor his extraordinary generosity, the Board of Trustees named the new Center for his beloved daughter, Suzanne Usdan.Arts educators created the educational and artistic plan for Usdan. The Center's founding Executive Director, Andrew McKinley, was a concert artist, a member of the Juilliard faculty, and a renowned opera singer. The Center’s Educational Coordinator and longtime Board President, Dr. Jerrold Ross, worked side by side with Mr. McKinley. Dr. Ross was then Chairman of the Department of Music Education at New York University. Together with Mrs. Usdan, Dr. Hexter, and Mr. Lemberg, a Board of Trustees was established, and Mr. McKinley assembled a superb faculty of prominent artists and teachers from the country’s leading conservatories and universities. A hallmark of Mr. McKinley’s leadership was his demand for the highest possible standards of performance and teaching, standards that Usdan is known for to this day. In 1983, following 16 years as Director of the Center, Andrew McKinley retired. The Board appointed Dale Lewis to become his successor, and Mr. Lewis has been Usdan’s Executive Director since that time.
Through the years, the Center's original curriculum of music, art, dance, and theater has expanded into additional fields of study in the arts. The program now includes major subject areas in writing, jazz studies, video arts, computer graphics, jazz and tap dance, chamber music, nature and ecology, organic gardening, fashion design, cartooning, animation, classical guitar, and chess. During the past ten years, Usdan has launched programs for beginners as well. Discovery is an arts exploration experience for children in Kindergarten and First Grade. In the Senior Division (students from 8th Grade through 12th Grade) music, art, or dance students are now eligible to apply for scholarships and student internships, and college or conservator students are eligible for consideration as Work-Study Interns as well. Minor classes now include Life Drawing, Actor’s Skills, and Tennis.
In addition to its primary programs for children, Usdan also sponsors professional development programs for arts educators. Lifetime learning is another programmatic theme at Usdan, and these programs include alumni study days, lecture and concert workshops for adults, and a popular summertime event known as Usdan University. Usdan’s professional staff provides collaborative programs with schools on Long Island in New York City, and the Center hosts training events for young professionals in the arts, and for community events such as the Long Island Envirothon.
Usdan’s leadership includes it Board of Trustees, and a Leadership Council of Long Island community and business leaders. Since the Center’s inception, the Board has completed capital campaigns to build state-of-the-arts theaters and teaching studios on Usdan’s 100-acre woodland campus. These include the Lemberg Drama Center, Hexter Sculpture Museum, Goetz Art Gallery, Block Video Arts Center, Jerrold Ross Discovery Center, and Usdan's campus center, the 1,000-seat Andrew and Lily McKinley Amphitheater, completed in 1999.
The Mission:
Usdan Center is a summer arts school and festival that provides an educational setting for children to develop artistic skills, regardless of their level of talent. Children acquire and develop these skills under the guidance of a professional faculty, and they participate in public performances and exhibits that reflect the high standards sought by the Center's faculty. While studying at Usdan, children discover new abilities and talents, and they form lifetime friendships with those who share their love of the arts. The goal is for them to leave the Center with the arts as a lifetime companion. The Center's philosophy is reflected in the phrase:
"Lose yourself for a summer, and find yourself for a lifetime."
Art
Art majors choose one discipline to explore in depth. Students work in studios designed for their medium and learn from working artists who are specialists in their fields. Studios feature large skylights as well as indoor and outdoor courtyards to take advantage of natural light and the inspiration of nature. As well as Rachel Minkoff attending the photography program!Minors
- Life Drawing (Grades 9 to 12, for Art Majors only): An exploration of the human form for advanced artists. Students will learn the principles of life drawing with the aid of draped models.
- NatureNatureNature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, and DesignDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
(Grades 2 to 6): Usdan's magnificent forest provides the setting to study Long Island's natural eco systems. Hands-on projects, include garden and forest exploration, the art of nature, as studied in science and craft. - Painting & Drawing (Grades 2 to 12): Creative drawing and painting using acrylics, pastels and related media.
Majors
- AnimationAnimationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
(Grades 7 to 12): Fundamentals of 2-D Animation, in which students are introduced to both hand-drawn and computer generated imagery. - Art Adventure (Grades 2 to 4): An exploratory art experience in which students are introduced to a variety of media, including drawing, painting, hand-building ceramics, and sculpture.
- Cartooning (Grades 5 to 12): An introduction to classic cartooning techniques and characters. Course material drawn from flip-book, outline, black line and basic color methods. Students improve their character development through techniques of expression, movement and personality.
- Ceramics (Grades 2 to 12): Experimentation with hand forming, turning on the potter's wheel, ceramic design and sculpture, and glaze technology.
- Film as Video Art (Grades 7 to 12, no prerequisite): The study of classic films, and the application of their themes to student videos. Video projects are inspired by classic techniques of plot development, dramatic and comedic scripting, documentary art and news production. Technique is acquired in the digital video studios of Usdan's Block Television and Video Arts Center.
- HeckscherAugust Heckscher-Biography:Born in Hamburg, Germany, Heckscher emigrated to the United States in 1867. He initially worked in his cousin Richard Heckscher's coal mining operation as a laborer, studying English at night. Several years later he formed a partnership with his cousin under the name of Richard Heckscher...
/Usdan Student Art Institute (Grades 9 to 11 by portfolio review and interview): A year-round program of advanced studio art, museum study, and career preparation for Long Island's most talented visual art students. Includes a summer of study at Usdan, and twice monthly fall and winter classes at the Heckscher Museum of Art. - Jewelry and Fine Metalsmithing (Grades 4 to 12): Design and creation of jewelry using many kinds of metals and stones.
- Media Arts (Grades 4 to 12): An introduction to computer-aided design, layout, photography, and introductory animationAnimationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, using Photoshop, IllustratorAdobe IllustratorAdobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by Adobe Systems. Illustrator is similar in scope, intended market, and functionality to its competitors, CorelDraw, Xara Designer Pro and Macromedia FreeHand....
, and FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
. - Nature, Ecology, and Design (Grades 2 to 6): Usdan's magnificent forest provides the setting to study Long Island's natural eco systems. Hands-on projects, include garden and forest exploration, the art of nature, as studied in science and craft.
- Painting (Grades 2 to 12): Creative drawing and painting using acrylicsAcrylic paintAcrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
, pastels and related media. - PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
(Grades 4 to 12): Photographic composition, digital imaging, printingPrintingPrinting is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, and presentation on Macintosh computers. Students supply their own digital cameraDigital cameraA digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
. - SculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
(Grades 2 to 12): Exploration of three dimensionalThree-dimensional spaceThree-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
forms, abstract and representational, in wood, stone, clay, plaster, wire and metal. - Video ArtsVideo ArtsVideo Arts is a British based video production company which produces training videos for companies. It was founded in 1972 by John Cleese, Sir Antony Jay, and a group of other television professionals. The videos feature well known British actors, and humorously explain business concepts...
(Grades 5 and 6): Techniques of video photography, production and post-productionPost-productionPost-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
. Concept of video documentary and art. Use of Usdan's unique sound and air-conditioned Television Center. This complex contains studios and control rooms, and editing suites with state-of-the-art equipment.
Chess
There is a certain kind of child, cerebral, free-wheeling, who is inclined to choose chess as a major. At the same time, the demand for chess as a minor attests to its popularity with all types of kids. With class time split between instruction and games, students learn chess notation and develop strategies to improve their skills.Minor and Major
- Chess (Grades 3 to 12): Usdan's program is designed to meet the individual needs of each student and is offered in cooperation with The National Scholastic Chess Foundation. Multiple classes offer instruction to beginner through advanced players. Players new to chess learn its rules, notation and the opening, middle and end games. Technique is acquired in organized and free play with other students and faculty. Advanced players develop a repertory of game strategies. Celebrated chess masters visit Usdan as guest teachers.
Dance
Dancers study technique, classic repertoryRepertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
and original choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
with New York City's nationally renowned dancers and choreographers. Instruction is rigorous but caring, and studios are spacious, with soft floors and generous skylights that give them an open-air effect.
Minors
- BalletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
(Grades 2 to 12): Beginning and intermediate - advanced levels. - Jazz DanceJazz danceJazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
(Grades 7 to 12): Contemporary dance forms drawn from Broadway and classic jazz traditions. - Modern DanceModern danceModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
(Grades 2 to 12): Beginning and intermediate-advanced levels. - Tap DanceTap danceTap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
(Grades 2 to 12): Beginning and intermediate-advanced levels.
Majors
- Ballet (Grades 2 to 12, no audition required): The study of classical technique including barre and center exercises, across the floor combinations and performance of original choreography or classic repertory.
- Dance Adventure (Grades 2 to 4): An exploratory dance experience in which students are introduced to a variety of forms, including jazz, modern, ballet, and popular/contemporary danceContemporary danceContemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
- Jazz and Tap (Grades 4 to 12; by audition): Int./Adv. level class. Explore contemporary dance forms from classic jazz and tap traditions. Students must have prior experience.
- Usdan Ballet Intensive (Grades 7 to 12 by audition): A select program for advanced ballet dancers. Full day of dance at Usdan. Call for details.
Language Arts
Small groups of creative writing students engage the forms of poetry, short fiction and playwriting in covered, open-air studios. The program culminates in the publication of Usdan's literary magazine, a multidisciplinary publication which includes student-produced poetry and writing.Minors
- Creative Writing (Grades 3 to 12): Instruction and practice in the writing of stories and poems.
- SATSATThe SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
Preparation and College Essay (Grades 10 to 11): 30 hours of preparation for the SAT and for the essays required for college-bound students, including an orientation to the college application process and two evening workshops for parents. Course provided by Insight Tutors LLC. (Additional fee applies.)
Major
- Creative Writing (Grades 4 to 12): The writing of stories, plays and poems. Participation in the production of Usdan Center's literary magazine, Painting with Words.
Music
Minors- BandSchool bandA school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...
, OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
(Grades 6 to 9) + - Chamber MusicChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
(Grades 7 to 12) + - Folk GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(Grades 4 to 12) - JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Ensemble (Grades 7 to 12) + - Junior ChorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
(Grades 2 to 6) - Senior Chorus (Grades 7 to 12)
- Vocal JazzVocal jazzJazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
(Grades 7 to 12)
+For qualified students.
Majors
- Classical GuitarClassical guitarThe classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
(Grades 4 to 12): 2 hours daily of classical instruction. Students must have at least one year of prior instruction. - Classical PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(Grades 3 to 12, by audition): A unique program of group instruction. Students are placed by ability and introduced to the joy of ensemble playing, as well as technique and repertoire study. Studios are equipped with new Yamaha professional pianos. - Concert Band (Grades 3 to 12): 4 Bands offer performance opportunities for students of varying ages and abilities. Concerts have featured world-premier compositions and prominent soloists. 1 hour of Band and 1 hour in a sectional lesson daily.
- Intermediate Jazz Ensemble (Grades 7 to 8; by audition): Three hours daily include 2 periods of jazz ensemble and one period of concert band. For advanced jazz players.
- Junior Chorus (Grades 2 to 6): A popular major for young singers, the Junior Chorus presents a choral concert in July and a Broadway show in August.
- Junior Jazz Ensemble (Grades 5 to 6; by audition): Three hours daily include classes in jazz ensemble, concert band and a sectional lesson.
- Orchestra (Grades 3 to 12): Orchestras for students of varying ages and abilities. Usdan Orchestras perform major symphonic works and collaborate with prominent soloists as well as the Center's own dance companies. 1 hour of Orchestra and 1 hour in a section lesson daily.
- Senior Chorus (Grades 7 to 12): Two hours daily devoted to major choral works with opportunities for small ensemble singing.
- Senior Jazz Ensemble (Grades 9 to 12; by audition): Three hours daily include classes in improvisation, jazz ensemble and concert band. For advanced players.
Theater
The Lemberg Drama Center houses an indoor air-conditioned theater, an outdoor amphitheater, 6 rehearsal studios, costume and set shops and dressing rooms. This extraordinary complex is the site of classes for students (grades 5 to 12) who participate in a program designed to increase acting skills, as well as offer performances in the Center's theaters. Recent productions included Once Upon A Matress, Me and My Girl, Paul Sill's Story Theater, Annie, and Fiddler on the Roof.Minor
- Actor's Skills (Grades 7 to 12): This non-performance elective provides theater majors with a broad range of fundamental approaches to the challenges faced by young actors.
Majors
- DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
(Grades 7 to 12): Classes with emphasis on acting, speech, movement and comedy. - Intermediate Musical Theater (Grades 5 to 6): Classes with emphasis on acting, movement, speech, voice and dance.
- Junior Chorus (Grades 2 to 6): Choral singing and concerts with a Broadway musical at the end of the season.
- Musical Theater (Grades 7 to 12): Classes with emphasis on acting, speech, movement, voice and dance.
- Theater Adventure (Grades 2 to 4): An exploratory theater experience in which students are introduced to basic acting skills, and to the traditions of the stage.
External links
- Usdan official website
- Usdanites' Community Journal
- New York Times Article from 1977
- New York Times Article "Promoting the Arts (Minus the Crafts)" from 2007
This year, some of Usdan's theater productions include Li'l Abner, Oliver!, 13, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. All-Stars in this program are returning to do these shows.