Maurice Brandon Curry is new Usdan Center Dance Dept. Chair

[Revacoop]

Usdan Center For the Performing Arts, the nationally renowned New York-area summer arts day camp which has introduced the arts to more than 50,000 young people, announces that Maurice Brandon Curry, a director/choreographer/educator, and former Director of the Joffrey Ballet School, will become Chairperson of the Usdan Center Dance Department beginning in the summer of 2010.

Usdan has also announced that former American Ballet Theater/Joffrey Ballet star Dennis Nahat, who is Artistic and Executive Director of Ballet San Jose, CA, will be a Visiting Master Teacher this summer, directing selected classes at Usdan. As a choreographer, Nahat has more than a hundred choreographic credits in film (“The Turning Point”) television, on Broadway and with major ballet companies of the world.

Maurice Brandon Curry has directed, choreographed and produced events around the world. His ballets are in active repertoires of numerous companies and his competition choreography has won awards at the Prix de Lausanne and the Varna International Ballet Competition. His students dance with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and with dozens of other companies.

In addition to a celebrated career as a director, choreographer, and educator, Mr. Curry has developed a distinguished reputation as an arts administrator. He has worked in both an artistic and/or administrative capacities for DancEllington (directed by Mercedes Ellington), Lexington Repertory Dance Theatre (SC), the Usdan Center for the Performing Arts, Repertory Dance Theatre (PA), and Jazz Dance America. Additionally, Mr. Curry was the Director of Educational Programs for the Joffrey Ballet School. Mr. Curry has served on the board of directors for dre.dance (a company directed by Andrew Palermo and Taye Diggs), Bangor Ballet, and is currently on the advisory board of DANCER magazine. In addition to his BFA in Choreography, Mr. Curry holds a degree in Digital Filmmaking and Multimedia. He is currently the Creative Director for the NYC-based production company, Innovative Arts and Media and part of the creative team at Bad Boys of Dance.

Usdan is annually attended by 1500 students, transported daily from throughout the Tri-State Area by air-conditioned buses. Former dance students have become members of major ensembles. For more information, visit www.usdan.com, or call 212-772-6060, or 631-643-7900, or write to info@usdan.com.