Usdan Announces 10/23 Open House

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp which has just finished its 45th successful season, announces the first of its Open Houses for the 2013 season. It will take place on Sunday October 28 from 11AM to 2PM. 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.

Usdan Center, featuring more than 40 programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, creative writing, nature and ecology and chess, annually hosts more than 1600 students from throughout the Tri-State New York area. No audition is needed for most courses, and transportation is provided by air-conditioned buses that depart from most New York-area neighborhoods. One-third of Usdan's students receive scholarship assistance based on family need.

Many of Usdan's programs and special events, including excerpts from its August 1, 2012 Gala Concert, may now be viewed on the Center's website, www.usdan.com. It is fully coordinated with Usdan's YouTube and Facebook sites, where additional information and late-breaking news is also featured.

At Sunday Open Houses, visitors are greeted at the Administration Building by faculty and staff who introduce visitors to course options at Usdan, and also review the application process. These greetings are followed by self-guided tours.

The Center is always developing new programs, and new courses for 2013 will shortly be announced. In addition, there will be special public events in the coming months, including the October 14 "An Afternoon With Jane Monheit," 2 PM and 4:30 PM concerts by the Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist and Usdan alumna. A "Signature Series" event on the Long Island-wide ArtsAlive festival for October, it will be presented in the intimate, on-site Maurice Hexter Center with a champagne "Meet the Artist" reception after each of two performances. For tickets and more information, visit www.usdan.com.

Future Open Houses after October will be on Sundays December 2, 2012, January 27, 2013, March 17, 2013, April 21, 2013 and May 19, 2013; and Wednesday, February 20, 2013. All Open Houses will be from 11 AM to 2 PM. For appointments for weekend or weekday tours, call Gail London at (631) 643-7900.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, whose alumni include actors Natalie Portman and Olivia Thirlby and singers Jane Monheit and Mariah Carey, has introduced the arts to more than 60,000 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.

In addition to its regular programs, Usdan offers special opportunities for advanced high school- age performing and visual artists. These include Music Staff Internships, a Summer Ballet Intensive. Usdan Center is an agency of the UJA-Federation of New York.

Usdan's 46th season begins June 24, 2013. For more information, write to info@usdan.com, Call (212) 772-6060 or (631) 643-7900, or visit www.usdan.com.