University of Southern California

Welcome to the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance website. It is truly exciting and humbling to be the first dean of the world’s newest Dance School.

We are creating a new and visionary school that will be at the forefront of developing dancers and dance leaders for the future. Three beliefs are guiding the creation of the Kaufman School.

First, successful dancers must be technically excellent artists who understand their art form; its past, its present, and its future. Dancers must immerse themselves and be respectful of a variety of dance styles, stay abreast of technological changes, such as motion capture, that will impact the dance world in the future, and perhaps most importantly, develop a curious mind about an ever evolving, developing, and changing art form.

Secondly, we believe that artists do not create their art “apart from” society but as “a part of” society. A conservatory quality of dance instruction must be embedded in a broader liberal arts education that explores the issues of today’s world from the perspective of the human experience with its trials and tribulations, successes and failures, and potential and pitfalls. It has been said that you can train artists to beautifully reproduce art in an isolated environment but only artists who understand the world from a broader perspective can create great art. The vibrant liberal arts education, among the best in the world, provided by the University of Southern California will fulfill this need and help develop dancers who have a depth of understanding of the human condition.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, the new School must be grounded in the realities of the dance profession. Dancers must learn how they can spend a lifetime in the field they love. The length of performing careers in dance is, by definition, limited. Understanding the means of staying healthy will prolong a performing career and understanding the workings of the entire dance industry will allow the dancer career options long after they have left the stage. A lifelong career in dance will begin here.

We pledge to stay focused on these three beliefs as we begin thinking about what we will offer the students of the USC Kaufman School.

The School is in its infancy. Created in November 2012, we are in the process of creating a world class and innovative curriculum. We are designing and building the Glorya Kaufman International Center for Dance on the USC Campus where the new school will be located and we are recruiting the best teachers and staff members in the world to come to join us.

We anticipate taking our first applications for a very limited and selective freshman class in the fall of 2014 with auditions in the following January. The first class of Kaufman Dancers will be welcomed on campus in the fall of 2015.

Dr. Robert Cutietta
Dean
USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance