Summer Newsletter | Aug 1, 2025

What's New With U? Week 5

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts Chess Program

Love is... connection

Dear Friends,

One of Usdan's core values is to create a community of artists across age groups — students, faculty, guest artist — who collaborate as equals. When professional artists perform at Festival, the performer-audience connection illustrates this relationship. Different performances require different types of audience participation and active listening, making a huge impact on the energy of the performers. For example, when Wednesday's Festival performer Natie encouraged students to dance and clap along to her music, Senior students answered the call.

“I want to come play here once a week," Natie said during her Senior Festival performance. "I’m just feeling great on this stage. You made a whole choreography up there. I love this.”

Whether it's spoken word poetry, electric violin, or Broadway tunes, the performer is nothing without an audience, just as a community of people who love engaging with art creates the space for that very art to come to life. As David from The Red Trouser Show says, "Without an audience, [this would be] super weird."

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts gong

Students also listen to and connect with nature at Usdan. In this week's "Tiny Mic Tuesday," students pointed out the birds, wineberries, trees, and trails as some of their favorite elements of Usdan's environment. Sometimes the most special part about a summer at Usdan is a break from all the noise of day-to-day life, an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world around you, whether that's the art at Festival or the wineberries on the path to the swim hill.

Not a student at Usdan this summer? We hope you find some moments this week to connect with art, nature, or community in ways that inspire you.

Creative Writing Teacher & Writer JRose's Poem

JRose — Spoken Word Artist, Lead Creative Writing Teacher, published author, and Usdan parent — performing at Festival for the first time on Thursday, July 31, 2025.

Excerpt from JRose's poem, "Affirmations for Transformation"

I'm worthy of wealth
*Audience repeats*
I'm worthy of health
*Audience repeats*
I love myself
*Audience repeats*
I trust myself
*Audience repeats*
I am enough
*Audience repeats*
And when things get rough
*Audience repeats*
I'm STILL enough
*Audience repeats*

Some have wealth in the form of riches
While others prefer wealth in the form of wishes
And I'm just here claiming my wealth in spirit
Minding my business.... hard hat and pick ax, just mining my business
Turning wishes into riches
Riches into attitude switches
So don't be mad when I hit the switch and my attitude switches
And the only light you see are the flames from burning bridges
See, for me, there's nothing more liberating than releasing negativity
So today, I release 3 things that had me messed up...

#1 - Love from yesterday's newspaper

Daily News headlines of all the NY times I stood on a block of my blessings.... Hanging myself over a man that was blocking my blessings.
They say love hurts but sometimes it feels more like organs compressing.
Airways constricted, heartbeat convicted.... I tried to speak in love languages but the translation was restricted and the reciprocity was limited
Claiming unconditional love yet leaving me was easier than loving me so the condition was that I had to be enough but never was
Or so I thought
See, I had to be abandoned so that I could abandon everything I thought I had to be
Standing outside the window of solitude, I sang sweet serenades to find myself
And with the fire in my heart I cut soul ties to close chapters that no longer serve me

#2 - The troublesome twins

Depression and anxiety.... Who love to play wicked games
And although they may not look alike..... their malice feels the same
Shifting my train of thought off it's tracks with inhibitions
Had to stand clear of closing doors and lost ambitions
Motivation wasn't enough because discipline was non existent
Both holding me back with their mental confliction
So I parented my thoughts and emotions.... colored them back into the lines
Sat them at the children's table when it was time to dine
Read them bedtime stories of a Warrior Queen that always survived
Showing them boundaries with self care and patience
It's ok to not be ok but it was time to step into healing situations
The wounds are finally scars and the pain,.. just a distant sensation
Feelings felt so far that so far I haven't felt so far from feeling so sensation...nal

And lastly #3 - The insecurity ninja

Built a foster home to foster the syndrome of impostors
Fueled it's power with self doubt and insecurities.
I was blind to what y'all see in me.
So I strolled to the rhythm of serenity.
Sat by the sea of sincerity
Hoping to see what you see in me with more clarity
Crying diamonds from the pressures of life while they reflect my light as far as the eye can see
Drowning in jeweled waves of tears so that my tears could wave goodbye to the woman I used to be
I can finally say I was blind but now I sea.... and not with my eyes but with my seeds
Everything I do is for the birth of THEIR legacy
They are the mangoes in this lineage of poison ivy

FUN FACT: Poison ivy is related to mangoes, cashews and pistachios
Google it.

Now back to these affirmations of transformation
Setting the bar high like views from a bird's eye
Only limit to my light is the sky
And eye see the Feminine Divine within me
Eye see my ancestors within me
Eye see the love within WE
Eye see the unity within WE
Eye see the WE within ME and the ME within WE

So repeat after me

I'm worthy of wealth
*Audience repeats*
I'm worthy of health
*Audience repeats*
I love myself
*Audience repeats*
I trust myself
*Audience repeats*
I am enough
*Audience repeats*
And when things get rough
*Audience repeats*
I'm STILL enough
*Audience repeats*

Hip-Hop Pool Party

A multi-generational celebration of summer

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts Hip-Hop Pool Party Cindy Campbell

After last year's SOLD OUT event, Usdan Artists in Residence and the founders of Hip-Hop DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell are back to throw another epic pool party at Usdan. Enjoy DJ sets by DJs Hard Hittin' Harry and Super JB, food trucks, performances, activities, and more!

Festival Recap

Soloists, duos & triplets take the stage

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts teachers and students

At Tuesday, July 29's Festival Performance, Lead Theater Teacher Billy Recce performed original musical theater numbers with Broadway actor Jayke Workman including a piece from Billy's upcoming commissioned piece, "KABLAM!" Regarding the show that will premiere on Thursday, August 21, Billy teased: "The year is 1977 and the educational kids’ TV show KABLAM! has just been cancelled!!!"

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts Natie performs

On Wednesday, July 30, Natie performed the first time at Festival, looping beats, singing, playing electric violin, and rapping in Creole. While the set list offered some tranquility, the energy in the amphitheater buzzed in response to this genre-bending performance.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts Kyra Leeds performs

Kyra Leeds — staff member, alum, and actor — accompanied by Lead Theater Teacher and alum James Crichton brought the Broadway Golden Age to the stage with tunes from "South Pacific" and "Once Upon a Mattress." During the performance, Kyra shared that when she went to Usdan, her dad performed on stage with the Voices of Broadway act, and now she was performing on the same stage with him in the audience. "A full circle moment," Kyra reflected.

Get your RISE tickets!

October 3 – November 1, 2025

RISE of the Jack O'Lanterns at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts

Attend Long Island's most visited fall event - the rise of the Jack O Lanterns- featuring over 5,000 hand-carved jack o'lanterns, 3,000 specialty lanterns, hundreds of family-friendly Halloween-themed displays, and the world's longest jack o'lantern trail!

WEEK 5 IN PHOTOS

For more photos and videos, follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts Music Composition

Following her Festival performance, singer-songwriter Natie led an electric violin workshop with Music students.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts

Suffolk County Regional Representative for NYS Governor Kathy Hochul Thalia Olaya visits Usdan to drop off a letter affirming the mission of last week's July Community Day. The letter, signed by Gov. Hochul, reads, "By matching campers with visiting professionals and educators in a variety of disciplines, including dance, music, and literature, while encouraging creative exploration and personal development, the Usdan Summer Camp teaches aspiring artists to boldly pursue their dreams."

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts water balloon fight!

We all have our strategies for beating the heat. In the Dance Department, students opt for the (reusable) water balloon fight option, allowing for a bit of friendly competition while cooling off during the heat wave.

Calendar Highlights: Week 6

Here is what's coming up next week!

Families of students are welcome to attend Festival performances and join us after for a backstage lunch. Festival performances will also be livestreamed, as well as recorded and posted, to our YouTube Channel.