Dear Friends,

Usdan is back! With the ring of the gong, we officially kicked off Summer 2024 on Monday. What an incredible first week it has been!

From the art villages up to the pools and to theater area, the entire campus was alive with smiles, song, creativity, and PLAY — our main theme for Summer 2024. 

Keep reading to catch up on all that happened in Week 1 and what is in store for Week 2.

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Unveiling Our New "U"s!

We're buzzin' with excitement

Executive Director Lauren Brandt Schloss with this year's U designers Amani Jimenez (left) and Rebecca Lefebvre (right).

From music to ice cream, Usdan has a collection of “U”s that represent the quality and diversity of our programming. Each summer, we have a competition where students are invited to submit a "U" for the following year. The new “U”s for Summer 2024 were revealed on Friday during Festival.

Designed by Amani Jimenez, our official “U” for Summer 2024 is a “bee,” which highlights some of the themes of the summer: connection to the natural world, the playfulness of our programming, and the uniqueness of each student. Each student will receive a “bee U” patch to commemorate their summer at Usdan.

Our second “U,” the “friendship bracelet,” designed by Rebecca Lefebvre is dedicated to the incredible, deep friendships that are formed at Usdan. This "U" is now the official "U" of the Usdan Store!

Please join us in congratulating our two amazing artists, Amani and Rebecca!

Encourage your student to submit a design for Summer 2025! They can pick up a submission sheet at the Green Sign. When they’re done designing, they can drop off the sheet at the designated box also at the Green Sign! They have all summer to submit.

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Festival Week 1 Recap

Let's PLAY!

Full Circle Souljahs wowed students at Festival on Tuesday, July 2.

Our young artists were treated to some amazing live performances at Festival this week, including two Hip-Hop groups that marked the beginning of our collaboration with Artists in Residence DJ Kool Herc and the First Lady of Hip-Hop Cindy Campbell.

Day one brought the crowd-favorite eGALitarian Brass back to the McKinley Amphitheater stage. This chamber ensemble, comprised of New York City's best women and non-binary brass players, brought a sense of play to classical chamber music, playing everything from a Dua Lipa medley to a jazz arrangement of the one-and-only “Rubber Duckie.” After Festival, the ensemble held a master class with the Brass Junior Major students during their fourth period.

On Tuesday, the Hip-Hop dance company Full Circle Souljahs showcased their incredible talents, introducing the students to the elements of Hip-Hop and the dance styles from California to the Bronx. As a bonus, Hip-Hop Senior Minor students in fourth period had a chance to learn from the dance troupe in a special master class.

Beloved faculty Michelle LaPorte and Gerry Saulter, aka the Serenade Duo, returned to the Festival stage to share their talents on the flute and guitar, taking our students from Argentina to Cuba through music.

Closing out the week were B-Boy Sasa and his All-Star Dance Crew, who brought the house down ol' school Hip-Hop style. 

Scroll down to see what is coming up next week!

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WEEK 1 IN MEDIA

Our Photographer, Terryl Whitaker, and our Marketing Assistant, Sarah Gordon-Macey, travel around campus daily capturing photos and videos of our students. This week we captured moments of PLAY, from the silly to the serious. Check out some highlights below. For more photos and videos, follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

 

 

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Quick Reminders and Helpful Tips

How to Sail Smoothly into Week 2

Here are some friendly reminders as we head into Week 2:

• Pack a delicious and nutritious lunch.
• Usdan is a device-free campus. If you need to get in touch with your student, please call Administration.  
• Label all items with your student's name.

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Perfect Your Camp Fit

New Usdan Merch Available

Shop at Usdan’s official store open daily during the camp day for exclusive Usdan merchandise from t-shirts and sweatshirts to keychains, swim towels, and our new popular bucket hat. New merch arrives every week so stop by often to see the latest!

 

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Week 2 Theme: Gratitude

Next week, we will explore our theme GRATITUDE. Want to start that exploration early? This weekend, begin a conversation with your young artist. Here are some prompts to get you started!

• What does gratitude mean to you?
• How will you embody gratitude this week at Usdan?
• How do you show gratitude?

 

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Calendar Highlights: Week 2

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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.

 

Monday, July 8

First Day: Week 2 Recreation

Festival | Faculty & Staff: Lindsay Spangenthal Accompanied by Andrew Ranaudo

12:10pm

12:35pm

 

Tuesday, July 9

Festival | Guest Artist: An Excerpt from "Layer the Walls" by Grand Pistachio

12:10pm

12:35pm

 

Wednesday, July 10

Festival | Faculty & Staff: Sam Dillon Quartet

12:10pm

12:35pm

 

Thursday, July 11

Festival | Guest Artist: IMGE Dance

12:10pm

12:35pm

 

Friday, July 12

Spirit Day: Rainbow Day

Festival | Guest Artist: Brown Rice Family Band

12:10pm

12:35pm

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Save the Dates

Two upcoming events you won't want to miss!

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U Benefit
Wednesday, July 24
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Join us during the regular camp day to engage with the art and beauty of the Usdan campus just like our students do! 

Thanks to our generous sponsors, this event is free for our community this year. Registration is required. Please RSVP below.

Donations at any level are deeply appreciated, but not required to attend this event.

P.S. This is the first of two U Benefits happening this summer. The second takes place on Wednesday, August 21.

 

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Hip-Hop Pool Party
Saturday, August 3
12:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Usdan Artists in Residence DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell are throwing a pool party — and the whole family is invited! 

All afternoon, DJs will spin records as you beat the heat in the most excellent of ways — in one of Usdan's swimming pools. Plus, there will be Usdan student performances, intro classes for adults such as Hip-Hop Dance and Poetry, and special activities and games for kids!

Enrolled Usdan students and kids ages 0–15 get in for FREE. Mark your calendars for the friends-and-family 48-hour pre-sale starting July 9. Space is limited so don't miss out!