Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp which has just finished its 44th successful season, offers a $75 "Early Bird Discount" for 7-week programs for registration through December 16 for the 2012 season. Its next Open House will be on Sunday January 22, 2012 from 11 AM to 2 PM. In addition to the Center's frequent Open House dates, Usdan also offers individual weekend guided tours available by appointment. Weekday self-guided walks are also available on the Center's magnificent 200-acre woodland campus at 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights (Huntington), New York 11798. For more information on these, call Gail London at (631) 643-7900. Information on the Center is also available by calling the NYC office at (212) 772-6060, emailing openhouse@usdan.com, or visiting www.usdan.com.
Two new programs for 2012, both 7 weeks, are:
1) Illustration and Book Design - An expansion of Usdan's Cartooning program, this course is for students in grades 7 to 12, and will introduce the art of creating illustrated stories from concept to completion. Students will earn skills in design, layout, and illustration in order to create an original book.
2) Summerstock - an expansion of Usdan's Theater Arts Department, Summerstock will be a selective, pre-professional course for accomplished actors in grades 11 and 12, those who intend to major in theater in college. The program will include all areas of production under the guidance of leading Broadway directors, designers, and teaching artists, with multiple productions performed in Usdan's theater, and off campus in Long Island and New York City venues as well.
In addition to the new programs, the Video Arts department program has expanded to include the new Video As A Film Art. For grades 7 to 12, this will be focused on classic and contemporary cinematic technique, with students creating short pieces inspired by film and television, and also shooting Usdan performances to create music videos.
Future Open Houses after January 22 will be on Sundays March 18, 2012, April 22, 2012 and May 20, 2012; and Wednesday, February 22, 2012. All Open Houses will be from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Many of Usdan's programs and special events, including excerpts from its August 3rd 2011 Gala Concert, may now be viewed on the Center's recently re-launched website, www.usdan.com.
Designed by Lafiya Watson, Usdan's Coordinator of Electronic Media, the site features a host of expanded functions intended to illustrate, for prospective and current students, and for families, alumni, and website visitors, the enormous range of programs available to students at Usdan. It has been designed to maximize the immediacy of visual and electronic aids, and it is fully coordinated with Usdan's YouTube and Facebook sites.
Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, whose alumni include actor Natalie Portman and singers Jane Monheit and Mariah Carey, has introduced the arts to more than 50,000 Tri-State Area children since its founding in 1968. The Center is open to all young people from age 6 to 18. Usdan's program features more than 40 four and seven-week programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, writing, nature & ecology, and chess. No audition is needed for most programs - rather, admission is based on an expression of interest in the arts. Each summer, 1,600 students are transported to the Center in air-conditioned buses each day. One-third of Usdan's students attend on scholarship. Although the mission of the Center is for every child to establish a relationship with the arts, the unique stimulation of the Center has caused many to go on to arts careers. Alumni include members of Broadway shows and major music, theater, and dance ensembles such as the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet. Usdan Center is an agency of the UJA-Federation of New York.
Usdan's 45th season begins June 25, 2012. For more information, write to info@usdan.com, Call (212) 772-6060 or (631) 643-7900, or visit www.usdan.com
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