Dear Friends,  

I hope you are all staying warm and finding wonder in the snow. At Usdan, we are busy launching our 2026 scholarship searches — with sled breaks in between.

Earlier this month, we opened the Music Merit Scholarship — a prestigious, audition-based scholarship program that recognizes top talent amount young instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers in the Long Island and New York City areas. 

Tomorrow, our Uniquely U Scholarship opens. Uniquely U is a celebration of creativity and self-expression for students grades K–12. Through Uniquely U, at least seven students receive a full eight-week scholarship to Usdan, while hundreds of other students receive partial awards to attend. 

Keep reading for more details on how to apply, and please, please, please forward these opportunities to young artists. 

Lauren Brandt Schloss 
Executive Director

Upcoming

• Music Merit applications are open on a rolling basis through May 1, 2026. Audition required.
• Uniquely U applications are open through March 2, 2026. Video submission required.
• Scholarships at Usdan — Virtual Info Session:
  • Learn more about Uniquely U, Music Merit, Tuition Assistance. Q & A included. 
  • February 9, 2026 — 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. 
  • Zoom registration required. 
• Usdan 101 — Virtual Info Session: 
  • For new families to get a general sense of Usdan. Q & A included. 
  • February 24, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
  • Zoom registration required. 
• Next Tuition Assistance Deadline:
  • Apply by: February 23, 2026
  • Receive letter by: March 2, 2026
  • Applications, accepted on a rolling basis, required. 
• Tour Dates for Prospective Families:
  • February 1, 2026 — 11:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
  • March 1, 2026 — 11:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
  • Registration required. 

Can't make a scheduled tour? Email enrollment@usdan.org to visit campus on a different day. 

DREAMING OF SUMMER THIS SNOWY DAY?

To give you and your young artist a little boost to get through the long winter months, we are giving the first 26 new students to enroll in our Classic or Discovery program between 1.25.26 and 2.6.26 each a $26 Usdan Store Gift Card, plus a chance to win $2,600 off Summer 2026 tuition.* 

**Offer applies to students who are new to Usdan and have never attended before. Winner of the $2,600 may apply the funds towards our Classic or Discovery 4- or 8-week sessions only. Cannot be applied to Recreational Camp. Offer is non-transferable, cannot be combined with other discounts, and expires February 6, 2026.

2025 ORIGINAL CLASSICAL COMPOSITION PIECES
Listen to original 2025 student work performed by "The Knights" 

Open to students grades 6–12, Usdan's Classical Composition Major and Minor offers young musicians the opportunity to work with professional artists to workshop and perform their original work. Last summer, the renowned NYC-based orchestral collective "The Knights" performed Classical Composition Majors' work during Festival on Tuesday, August 19. Check out some of the students' work featured on our Bandcamp for inspiration below.  This work would not be possible without the support of Classical Composition Lead Teacher Matthew Pellegrino.

To continue growing this program of impressive young composers, Music Merit applications now include a special application for original Classical Composition pieces. 

UNIQUELY U SCHOLARSHIP APPS OPEN TOMORROW

Screenshot from 2025 Uniquely U recipient Ingrid W.'s video submission. 

We are looking for the most talented, creative, all-around passionate kids in grades K–12 to apply for our Uniquely U Scholarship search! Apply starting tomorrow for the chance to earn a full scholarship to Usdan this summer — valued at $9,200!. 

To all young creatives, whether you are...

A Singer 
A Trumpet Player
A Poet 
A Fashion Designer 
A Master Lego Builder 
Or Any Artist In Between 

... Show us your quirks. Show us what you do that makes people say, 'I've never seen that before!' or, 'I really don't know anyone like you!'

Most importantly, show us what makes you, U!

ALUM SPOTLIGHT: SIMA MATTHES
'To be creative without judgment' 

Our Alum Spotlights highlight former Usdan students who have gone on to have exciting careers in the arts and beyond. Written to inspire our current and future students, the spotlights show how you can lose yourself for summer and find yourself for a lifetime at Usdan.

Usdan alum Sima Matthes rejects making a list of resolutions. Instead, she likes to choose one word to return to throughout the year. 2025’s word was “release,” which she reported an 85% success rate. “This is my year of becoming,” she shared. 

In one area of her life, Sima is already living up to this intention. January 2026 marks the first year in her two-year long term as the President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Long Island Chapter — an international nonprofit dedicated to continued education and sustainability of nonprofit work.   

After two years as president-elect, Sima steps into her two-year long term with a matured clarity of what she has to offer as a leader. 

“There’s a strength in getting to the point in your life where you can identify where your strengths are in your family, in your community, in your profession,” Sima reflected.  

“I think ideally, we’re always becoming, and there’s always an avenue to experiment and learn, if you’re open to the creative path.”  

Over the course of her career, Sima attended law school, worked in public policy and education, found herself dedicated to raising money for nonprofits to thrive, and now serves as a Vice President of Fundraising for The Good Dog Foundation. While she describes trying many things out, Sima has always been dedicated to finding what feeds her soul while also teaching her something new.  

One of the first moments she realized her own capacity for growth was at Usdan. Sima attended as a Music Major taking Cello and Orchestra (with Archery as her Rec). She remembers the tangible growth of entering the summer as a last-chair cellist and leaving as a first chair when she changed high schools.  

“It was a beautiful, brilliant space to be creative without judgment — expressive in a way that was comfortable, and a place to really dig deep into the stories you want to tell,” Sima shared.  

“I don’t think I really appreciated it at that age, but as an adult, I absolutely appreciate the gift of being able to spend time in that space and to be encouraged to grow.” 

While being a professional musician was never her dream, seeing her own advancement in a craft stuck with her. At Usdan she found the necessary ingredients for her to learn and to get better at whatever she set her mind to. This is one of the core skills Sima reflects on as she enters her new position of leadership at AFP. 

This is a feeling she feels strongly about sharing. For one, when her son was old enough, she enrolled him in Usdan to experience the magic for himself.  

Sima’s son attended Usdan in 2018, the same year Sima worked in Usdan’s administration office. She describes her son’s creative work as storytelling through many different mediums. Theodore studied Creative Writing, Cosplay, and Improvisation at Usdan.  

“Creative kids often think they’re the only one who feels this way, acts this way, or is interested in this. Then you put them in a place like Usdan, and suddenly they’re not alone.” 

Sime describes Usdan giving Theodore permission to experiment without prescribed outcomes, which she saw as the key to him learning without knowing he was learning. She called it not “just a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down,” but rather, that Usdan was all sugar. Not to mention the sense of belonging Theodore felt at Usdan, making him more fully himself. 

Theodore is now majoring in linguistic anthology at Skidmore — focusing on the genesis and evolution of stories. Sima views his time at Usdan as crucial in his understanding of the many forms of storytelling that are possible.  

“There’s no place like Usdan. It allows kids to simply be — and how much better off would we all be if the world worked more like that?” 

Interested in becoming more of yourself at Usdan? Explore our 2026 class offers and find the area of study that is right for you at usdan.org/classes.  

Remembering Longtime Usdan Dance Chair Francis Patrelle (1947–2025)

Francis Patrelle was the Chair of Usdan's Dance Department for over 20 years. A Juilliard-trained artist, Francis founded the dance company Dances Patrelle, created dozens of ballets performed internationally, and choreographed dance routines for major opera houses, while also shaping generations of dancers through decades of teaching.  

Francis' choreography, celebrated for its emotional storytelling and theatrical depth, left a lasting impact on Usdan and American ballet more broadly.  

Upon Francis' passing, the Usdan Media Team reached out to former student and New York City Ballet Dancer Miriam Mahdaviani-Goldstone to speak to Francis' legacy at Usdan and beyond.   

"It’s hard to believe how long ago I worked with Francis - it seems more recent given how much our time together remains with me. He was very kind, and truly wanted the best for the dancers he worked with. He taught with knowledge, experience, humor, and a love of ballet.  I can still hear his laugh, and I shared his outlook that dancing should be joyful.  My summers with Francis at Usdan laid a foundation for the rest of my dance career. As a camper, I loved his ballet classes, and looked forward every morning to the beauty of the studio, the classical music, and the energy and expertise with which Francis taught his classes.  As a camper, I was unaware of my progress, but Francis must have seen my potential when he asked me to be his assistant teacher. For two summers, I continued to enjoy his classes, this time demonstrating the steps to the younger dancers and serving as the “ballet mistress” for his choreography. One summer, he used the music from Rossini’s William Tell Overture. It was such fun that I still remember it! Who knows – perhaps those summers inspired my choreography career. Or my subsequent teaching career. 

I was extremely flattered when Francis asked me to dance in a new ballet he would soon be choreographing, Come Rain, Come Shine.  In our first rehearsal, I learned that I – a corps de ballet dancer - would be joining a cast of soloists and principal dancers from NYCB and ABT! What confidence he had in me! I continued to dance in his works when time permitted and, when he saw that I was establishing a reputation as a choreographer, he invited me to present a new piece on a Dances Patrelle program.  One highlight of my work with Francis was getting to perform at Carnegie Hall for Usdan’s 25th anniversary celebration. His ballet gave me this thrilling, once in a lifetime opportunity! 

Over the years, I have been so proud of Francis’ accomplishments in the ballet world. He taught just about every serious ballet student in NYC, choreographed for generations of dance company principals, and shared his exuberance with audiences and dancers alike.  And for the many years he continued to teach at Usdan, I was so delighted knowing that successive generations of dancers were enjoying the inspiring ballet experiences that only he could provide."

Former Usdan Executive Director (1984–2015) Dale Lewis also spoke to Francis' impact on Usdan:  

"Francis Patrelle was Usdan's Dance Chair for more than 20 years. Francis was dedicated to Usdan students as he conducted ballet classes that were rigorous and inspiring. More than one thousand Usdan dancers recall their summers in Studio D4 with pride and happiness." 

Usdanites Out & About

(L-R): Executive Director Lauren Brandt Schloss with Usdan student Jillian Cerrato after Jillian sang the national anthem at the Long Island Association State of the Region Breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club on January 9, 2026.

At the breakfast, LIA President & CEO Matt Cohen moderated a conversation with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine about their key priorities and goals for the year ahead. Other speakers included Governor Kathy Hochul and parent of Usdan alum and Senator Chuck Schumer.

(L-R): Executive Director Lauren Brandt Schloss with Usdan alum Johnny Corrado and his brother Joe, friends from the Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc., at the Long Island Association State of the Region Breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club on January 9, 2026.

CELEBRATING U
From small accomplishments to national feats, here are some recent achievements from our students, parents, and teachers.

Longtime Theater Faculty members Robert Gallagher and Marie Danvers met on stage, fell in love, and have continued to build their careers together. On January 14, 2026, MyLITV published a video essay of their love story. 

Do you have any Usdan news we should know about? Write to us at media@usdan.org or tag us on Instagram @usdanarts, and we may feature it in our next newsletter or on our social channels!