Inspiring U | Feb 27, 2025
What's New With U? February 2025
Dear Friends,
As the snow melts and the sun shines a little longer each day, we hope you are letting your imaginations roam and your creativity soar (while dreaming of summer of course!).
In this month’s newsletter, we introduce you to two of this year’s scholarship judges — an accomplished New York poet and a Los Angles Disney star. Plus, we hear a touching story from a beloved member of Usdan's Music Department and another from an alum who is making his mark as a promising musical theater composer. Before we jump in, please accept a belated Valentine.
Roses are red, violets are blue
We look forward to summer with U
So, if you haven't enrolled
Don’t get left in the cold
Be part of the joy and the fun
On 140-acres dappled in sun
Happy reading!
Meet the Judges
(L–R) Daniella Toosie-Watson and Larry Saperstein
Our 2025 scholarship searches are in full swing! Applications are open for our creativity and merit-based scholarships, and we are looking forward to awarding Long Island and NYC’s creative youth with full and partial scholarships.
This year’s scholarship search is special for a couple of reasons. First off, this year we are offering three scholarships for young creatives — Uniquely U, Music Merit, and The Poet in U, a brand-new scholarship created for young writers who have a passion for poetry and storytelling.
This year also marks the first time we have invited artists from outside Usdan’s educator community to participate as scholarship judges. Poet Daniella Toosie-Watson joins The Poet in U panel of judges, and actor and alumni Larry Saperstein joins the Uniquely U judges. We are honored to have Daniella and Larry join us for these inspiring scholarship searches and excited to share your creativity with them!
About the Judges
Daniella Toosie-Watson, The Poet in U Judge
Daniella is a poet, visual artist, and educator whose debut poetry collection, What We Do with God is forthcoming with Haymarket Books (Fall 2025). They were shortlisted for the 2024 Oxford Poetry Prize and have been published in The Atlantic, The Paris Review, Oxford Poetry, Callaloo, Virginia Quarterly Review, Poet Lore, and elsewhere.
A profile writer for The Kennedy Center Next 50 and current Visiting Professor at Pratt Institute, they received their MFA from the University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers’ Program where they were awarded a Zell Fellowship and Graduate Hopwood Award. Daniella lives in New York.
Larry Saperstein, Uniquely U Judge
Larry is a multi-talented entertainer best known for his role as “Big Red” in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in which he starred alongside Olivia Rodrigo. Larry is also a proud Usdan alum!
“I spent nine summers at Usdan, and I adored every moment. I met some of my best friends and explored so many different artforms. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Usdan.” – Larry Saperstein
In addition to attending Usdan, Larry received his early dance training with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the American Tap Dance Foundation in NYC. In 2022, he launched the Tap Dance Masterclass "Tap With Larry" and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Love Is Eternal...
...And Giving Is Timeless
Valentine's Day may be over, but you can keep spreading the love by becoming a monthly donor and helping young artists thrive all year round.
It's not too late to dedicate your donation to your valentine(s)!
Faculty Spotlight: Michelle LaPorte
"Dream Big, Believe & See What Happens"
Flute Lead Teacher Michelle LaPorte describes teaching at Usdan as "glorious."
At age four, Usdan faculty member Michelle LaPorte would proudly declare to anyone who would listen, “I play the flute.” The thing was, she did not. Not yet, at least.
LaPorte is now an acclaimed Miyazawa Flutes Performing Artist, Centaur Recording Artist, and a member of the award-winning flute and guitar ensemble Serenade Duo, which she co-founded with her husband, guitarist, and Usdan teacher Gerry Saulter. LaPorte has performed around the world from Carnegie Hall to the American Embassy in Paris and is an adjunct faculty member at Suffolk County Community College. For the last seven years she has served as Usdan’s Flute Lead Teacher.
Despite the destiny her four-year old self suspected, the road to success was not always easy.
One day before her 21st birthday, the car she was traveling in was hit head-on by a drunk driver. LaPorte was seriously injured and her future as a professional musician was in jeopardy. Due to the severity of her injuries, doctors advised her to consider a different career. Headstrong and ambitious, LaPorte was determined to prove the doctors wrong and dedicated herself to relearning the flute.
“Everything was different,” shared LaPorte from her home in Long Island. “My mouth was affected. My arm was affected. Physically it was a journey to find my way back to playing and teaching.”
To even get a sound from the flute, LaPorte had to spend six months focusing on just the fundamentals, when before she was playing virtuosic repertoire and practicing for competitions.
In many ways, she attests the experience of relearning made her a better player. In fact, her professor at the time told her, “You didn’t [go] back to where you were…. You got there and then you kept going.”
Michelle LaPorte teaching young musicians the flute at Usdan.
She keeps going even to this day. Last December, LaPorte was one of 40 recipients to receive an Artist Fellowship Grant supported by Long Island Grants for the Arts through funds provided by the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by The Huntington Arts Council. LaPorte credits Usdan and her love of nature for helping her conceive of the structure for the winning grant.
“I think of it as three branches of a tree. There is a branch for performance, a branch for education, and a branch for recording.”
With this grant, LaPorte, as part of her award-winning ensemble Serenade Duo, aims to break down the barrier to chamber music by promoting a new genre called “global chamber music.” In global chamber music, the duo take two classic concert instruments, flute and guitar, and fuse classical chamber music with cultural inspirations from global music. For the performance branch, the duo has planned a series of concerts and conversations that bring this music to life in a friendly and inclusive atmosphere. For the education branch, they hope to bring the idea of the flute and guitar ensemble to the next generation by hosting workshops for students and giving flutists and guitarists the opportunity to play together, something LaPorte and Saulter have already tested at Usdan.
For the third branch, the recording branch, LaPorte looks forward to joining Saulter in the recording studio to record an album of newly composed works by some of their favorite composers from Argentina, Spain, Italy, and France.
“As creative people, there are always times that we question what we’re supposed to be doing. Getting this grant is a wonderful validation that I’m on the right track.”
There’s no doubt that for LaPorte, her experience has always taught her to embrace a mantra that she’s coined: “Dream big, believe, and see what happens.” This mantra is something she imparts to her students daily.
“I hope my experience has made me a better teacher. When my students say ‘I can’t do this,’ I say ‘Can’t,’ is not in our vocabulary. ‘Difficult,’ ‘challenging’, ‘have to work on this’, maybe, but ‘can’t’ -- no.’ I hope I embody the idea that you can do anything you set your mind to.”
At Usdan, LaPorte continually inspires her students and is one of the most beloved Music teachers on campus. In 2024 end-of-session surveys, we asked students, “If you were to write a ‘Thank You’ note to one or two Usdan teachers or staff, who would you write it to and what would you tell them?” Many wrote notes to LaPorte, including:
“Michelle: She is so inspiring and a great teacher.”
“Michelle, thank you for an amazing flute experience”
“Thank you, Michelle LaPorte. You taught me so much. I love your classes.”
“Thank you, Michelle, for teaching me how to do things on my flute that I never knew how to do.”
“Thank you, Michelle, for teaching me things in fun ways.”
And the feeling is mutual.
When asked what keeps Michelle coming back summer after summer she says, “The students first and foremost. They are a gift to all of us who have the privilege to work with them. Their love of life, their love of the arts, their kindness to another. I learn from them every day.”
“Dream big, believe, and see what happens.” Take Michelle LaPorte’s mantra to heart — apply to one of our three scholarships before it is too late.
Staff Spotlight
Javan Howard
Last month, Usdan's Director of Education Javan (Jay) Howard joined BronxNet’s Open host Kibin Alleyne to discuss the work he also does with Community-Word Project and Teaching Artist Project. Tune in to hear Jay share the benefits of having artistic conversations in educational spaces and why it is important for artists to train as educators.
The Best of Both Worlds
1-Week Rec Camp
Our Recreational (Rec) Camp program weaves together arts and sports to create week-long summer camp adventures for students in grades 2–8.
Every day, Rec Camp students can look forward to practicing their archery skills, swimming in one of Usdan’s three magnificent pools, playing sports such as basketball or badminton, and creating original works of art under the guidance of experienced art educators and professional artists. To inspire their artistry, campers enjoy Festival Performance with the rest of camp daily. The students' day ends with a cooling ice cream treat before settling in on the bus to go back home.
Rec Camp sessions provide students with the flexibility to build their summer as they wish! Students can add an extra week to a standard 4-week session or choose to spend up to eight weeks diving deeper into their favorite recreational activities.
Learn more about Rec Camp and our other programs — Discovery, Classic, and Allegro — and find the summer program that is just right for you.
Reporting on 2024
Our Annual Report is here!
In 2024, we welcomed nearly 1,400 happy students to our campus where they explored their creativity, built friendships, and found inspiration in the natural beauty of the wilderness. Their artworks and experiences are documented in our 2024 Annual Report, alongside stories of growth and transformation.
Alumni Spotlight: Zack Zadek
Usdan Took Me Seriously
Usdan alum and musical theater writer Zack Zadek.
Growing up in Dix Hills, Long Island, Usdan alum Zack Zadek was always the lead in his high school theater shows. But at Usdan? He could not catch a break.
He was cast as Marcellus in The Music Man, but that character’s main number “Shipoopi” was cut from the show. As a member of Usdan’s Rep company (now known as Troupe), he was left to play every unnamed man in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Looking back, Zadek acknowledges that it could not have mattered less that he did not receive the parts he desired during his three summers as a Musical Theater Major at Usdan. In fact, he credits the experiences for teaching him about what it really means to be part of a cast. And in some ways, not getting his ideal roles pushed him into his dream career — a musical theater writer.
Zack Zadek and Sam Gold at Usdan in 2007.
When he did not land his dream roles, Zadek decided to channel his energy and heart into Last Day Cabaret, a tradition where students audition to perform a musical number of their choosing on the last day of the season.
“Last Day Cabaret was my chance to write my own material and have it performed for people that I care about. I took it really seriously,” shared Zadek from his studio in Brooklyn. “Probably my first experience being a musical theater writer was at Usdan for Last Day Cabaret.”
That was not his only first at Usdan. Zadek’s writing for the Cabaret landed him his first opportunity to work with professional actors at age 15, when a producer for a Broadway benefit heard a recording of a song he wrote for a Cabaret finale.
“Everyone at Usdan — my fellow campers and my teachers — took me seriously, and because of that I started to take myself seriously. At Usdan, they treat students as artists, not as kids. And I think that’s just fantastic.”
The experience and confidence he gained at Usdan propelled Zadek to start writing a full-length musical with another Usdan student while still in high school; however, as college approached, Zadek still had it in the back of his mind that he needed to figure out “an actual career.”
That all changed when the musical Zadek wrote in high school was accepted into the prestigious New York Musical Festival during his freshman year at NYU. The Festival ran from 2004–09 and served as a launch pad for hundreds of musicals, including the Tony award-winning Next to Normal.
“That’s when I said to myself, ‘You know what? I care so much more about this than the fake career I’m thinking about for my future.’ I just had to give it an actual shot, and I’m grateful that I took that leap.”
To date, Zadek’s work has been developed and presented at The Public Theatre, Roundabout, The O’Neill Center, Signature Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, and more. Most recently, Zadek had a star-studded industry presentation of his highly anticipated new folk thriller The Turning directed by and developed with Sammi Cannold (How to Dance in Ohio) and featuring Lola Tung (Hadestown) and Anthony Rapp (Rent).
As The Turning continues its road to world premiere, Zadek assumes his position as a leading role in shaping the next generation of musical theater.
Follow Zack Zadek on Instagram
Inspired by Zack Zadek’s story? Want to learn what it takes to compose songs for musical theater? Take our Composition: Musical Theater class and create your own song under the guidance of an accomplished musical theater composer. Learn more.
We are hiring!
Join Our Team
For four years in a year, Usdan has been named a Top Nonprofit Workplace! Join our vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive team either as a full-time staff member or as a member of our Summer 2025 Faculty & Staff. Apply today!
Usdan Out & About Town
Suffolk Country Regional Representative for NYS Governor Kathy Hochul Thalia Olaya visits Usdan for the first time. (L-R) Director of Development Jessica Liss Feuer, Senior Development Coordinator Kyra Leeds, Talia Olaya, and Executive Director Lauren Brandt Schloss.
Usdan community members gather at The Shed in Hudson Yards, Manhattan to see Luna Luna, the magical show put on under the leadership of Usdan alum and CEO of the Shed Max Hodges, to celebrate the power of play in artistic expression.
Students Laila G. and Amanda G. pump each other up before Troupe auditions on February 9.
Lauren Brandt Schloss attends production of Interstellar Cinderella at the Long Island Children's Museum with (L-R) Usdan parent and choreographer of the show Lisa Rudin, Usdan parent & President of LICM Erika Floresk, Usdan parent Qiao Cui, and Musical Director of the show Willard Meeks Jr.
Off-season LIRR moments! Lauren Brandt Schloss (right) runs into Yoga and Dance faculty Johanna Tayor on the Wyandanch platform.
Calendar
Sunday, March 2
DEADLINE EXTENDED! Uniquely U Scholarship applications due
11:59 p.m.
Sunday, March 2
March Campus Tour – SOLD OUT!
Friday, March 7
DEADLINE EXTENDED! The Poet in U Scholarship applications due
Tuesday, March 18
General Virtual Info Session
7:00 p.m.
Monday, March 24
March Tuition Assistance
Apply By: March 24
Receive Letter By: April 1
Sunday, March 30
JUST ADDED! March Campus Tour
11:00 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 1
Music Merit Scholarship applications rolling until Thursday, May 1 11:59 p.m.
