Dance

Dance instruction is rigorous but caring. Studios are spacious and mirrored, with soft floors and generous skylights that give an open-air effect. In culminating performances for the entire community, including friends and family, each class presents a new piece of choreography on Usdan’s main stage.

An Outdoor Summer Dance Camp Experience

Dance instruction at Usdan is rigorous, caring, and fun and prepares children to participate in a creative dance community. Usdan Dance Department faculty are experienced dance educators and professional dancers and choreographers experienced in the most contemporary forms of their genre. During their time in the studio, students build their technical and expressive skills, learn about dance traditions, and have opportunities to choreograph.  

Students with a wide range of previous training can find an experience that is right for their level and interests. While the majority of our classes welcome all levels, Usdan encourages those with prior dance experience who are excited about exploring dance with a more acute focus to consider our Dance Major courses. To ensure that our classes best serve the group, our enrollment form includes questions about dance background. In conversation with families, we register students for classes that we think will benefit them the most.  

Usdan’s Dance studios are spacious and mirrored, with vinyl “marley” floors (except for Tap) and generous skylights that provide natural lighting. Studios are open-air, with two sides completely open and exposed to the surrounding woodland campus.  

Summer Camp Busing for Long Island, NYC, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens Kids

For over fifty years, Usdan has offered an enriching arts, music, theater, creative writing and dance summer camp experience to children all over the region, from Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn in New York City, to Port Washington and Huntington, and all over Nassau and Suffolk counties. Usdan offers busing to and from camp from convenient central pickup locations. For more information on busing, please visit our Transportation page. 

Ranking Model

Students participating in the Dance Department will rank their class choices according to the listed offerings. On the enrollment form, students will be asked to rank their first, second, and third choice for their major, minor or recreational activity. After review in late January, Usdan will announce Dance class offerings based on student interest. A placement form will be sent after enrollment. Usdan staff will try to place students in their top ranked class, however, it may not always be possible based on levels and scheduling. 

Please note, Junior students, with the exception of 4th graders, who choose to major in Dance will have two classes to rank instead of three.  

Junior Majors (2nd-3rd)

• Dance Adventure
• Choreography

Junior Majors (4th)

• Dance Adventure
• Contemporary Forms
• Choreography

Junior Majors (5th & 6th)

• Contemporary Forms
• Choreography

Senior Majors (6th-12th)

• Contemporary Forms
• Choreography
• Ballet
• Hip Hop
• Ballet/Hip Hop

Junior Minors (2nd-6th)

• Tap
• Broadway Jazz
• Contemporary Forms
• West African Fusion
• Hip Hop

Senior Minors (6th-12th)

• Tap
• Broadway Jazz
• Contemporary Forms
• West African Fusion
• Hip Hop