Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp now in its 46th season, will present its annual Gala Concert on Wednesday July 31 at 7 PM at the McKinley Amphitheater on the Center's 200-acre woodland campus.
The 2013 Concert will feature the World Premiere of two new pieces by Usdan Dance Chair/Broadway choreographer Maurice Brandon Curry, including one set to the songs of Judy Garland. They will be performed by students from Usdan's advanced dance programs, the Ballet and Jazz Intensive and the Ballet Interns. Last year's new Gala work by the chair, "An American In Paris", set to the George Gershwin music and videotaped in performance, was chosen as Dance Spirit Magazine's "Video of the Month"; and performances by the Usdan Jazz Ensemble, Senior Concert Band and Senior Chorus. The conductors will be Adam Glaser (Conductor of the Pre-College Orchestra at The Juilliard School), Orchestra; Robert Dalpiaz, Concert Band; Karen Lehman DiMartino, Senior Chorus; and Andrew Giammalvo, Jazz Ensemble.
Choreographer Maurice Brandon Curry is former Director of the Joffrey Ballet School and has directed, choreographed, and produced events as diverse as the Michael Awards for the Fashion Industry, tours and videos for Diana Ross and Prince.
Usdan Center's Gala Concert is the highlight of its summer season, during which 1,600 children, ages 6-18, study the arts with the Center's faculty of world-class artist-teachers. Students travel each day from New York City and throughout the Tri-State Area to the Center's campus in Huntington, Long Island. Since its founding in 1968, Usdan has introduced the arts to more than 60,000 children in the tri-state area through more than 40 three, four and seven-week programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, writing, nature & ecology and chess.
There are also special opportunities for advanced high school-age performing and visual artists including Music Staff Internships, a Summer Ballet Intensive, and a Summer Jazz and Tap Dance Intensive.
For most of Usdan's programs, admission is based simply on an expression of interest in the arts. One-third of 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 of the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts include jazz singer Jane Monheit, Natalie Portman, Olivia Thirlby and Mariah Carey. #
Usdan Center is an agency of the UJA-Federation of New York. For more information on Usdan Center, write to info@usdan.com, call (631) 643-7900, or visit www.usdan.com.
Tickets for the Gala concert ($25) can be obtained by writing to gala@usdan.com, calling (631) 643-7900, or by visiting www.usdan.com/gala. Special Patron packages including priority parking, pre-concert dinner, and priority seating are also available; call Patrice Frank at (631) 643-7900.
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