Blog | Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts on Long Island

An Invitation

Musings | Dec 18, 2020

Dear Usdan Community, When I read this week’s edition of Bill McKibben’s New Yorker newsletter “The Climate Crisis,” my heart hurt. McKibben explained that the weight of human-made stuff on the planet now weighs more than all the living things. A discrete number of decision makers in select...

We Are

Musings | Dec 11, 2020

While you read, enjoy listening to the song "We Are" by Jon Baptiste. Listen Last night at 11:30pm, I noticed how many of my colleagues had been working that evening and were still working at that late moment. A lot of exciting things are going on at Usdan: enrollment for returning families opens...

Young kids walking with a counselor over a bridge

Getting Lost

Musings | Dec 4, 2020

Wednesday was my birthday, a day when I traditionally take off from work and treat myself to a museum. The Museum of Modern Art was this year’s destination, and as I entered the galleries with anticipation, a very nice guard said to me: Let me know if I can help you find anything. To which I replied: Thank you, but for me the best part is getting lost.

Young girl lying on a log with her hands behind her head

My Favorite Holiday

Musings | Nov 25, 2020

Dear Usdan Community, Spending Thanksgiving weekend with my large, extended family is always one of the best experiences of my year. The Brandts were raised to treasure Thanksgiving with family, and when my children first said that Thanksgiving was their favorite holiday, I felt like a parental...

Young smiling girl dressed in a chef's costume and holding a ladle

The Arctic Cycle

Inspiring U | Nov 20, 2020

The Arctic Cycle uses theatre to foster dialogue about our global climate crisis, create an empowering vision of the future, and inspire people to take action. Operating on the principle that complex problems must be addressed through collaborative efforts. The Arctic Cycle works with artists across...

Arctic Cycle works with artists across disciplines and geographic borders

Class	Session	Major/Minor
Festival Showrunners: Usher, Host & Capture!	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Recreational Camp	1-Week Rec Camp	Major
Chess	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor and Recreational Activity
Performance: Children’s Theater	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Performance: Musical Theater	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Performance: The Usdan Troupe	8-Week	Major
Theater Skills: Improvisation & Theater Games	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Theater Skills: The Actor Sings	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Archery	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
U Time	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
Yoga	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
Nature, Ecology & Design	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Seed to Snack: Edible Gardening	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Absolute Beginner Guitar Minor	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Absolute Beginner Piano Minor	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Chamber Ensemble	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Composition: Classical Music	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Composition: Intro to DJ Basics and the History of Hip-Hop	4-Week A	Minor
Composition: Songwriting	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Concert Band	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Guitar Minor (1-2 Years of Experience)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Jazz Ensemble (Major)	4-Week A	Major
Jazz Ensemble (Minor)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Junior Piano Major (3+ Years of Experience)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Junior Vocal Ensemble	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Orchestra	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Piano Minor (1-2 Years of Experience)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor
Senior Piano Major (4+ Years of Experience)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Senior Vocal Ensemble	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Ballet	4-Week A	Major
Broadway Jazz Dance	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
Choreography	4-Week B	Major
Dance Adventure	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Hip Hop Dance (Major)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Hip Hop Dance (Minor)	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
Tap Dance	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
Creative Writing	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Creative Writing: Playwriting	4-Week B	Minor
Art Adventure	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Beginner Painting	4-Week B	Minor
Ceramics	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Comic Art	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Jewelry Making: Mixed Media	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
LEGO™ Construction	4-Week A 4-Week B	Minor and Recreational Activity
Painting & Drawing	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Photography	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major and Minor
Portfolio Development	4-Week A	Minor
Sculpture	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Sewing & Fashion Design	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major
Discovery	4-Week A 4-Week B	Major