Clockwise from top left: Debbie Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Camille A. Brown, Misty Copeland, Ohad Naharin, Leslie Odom Jr., Tiler Peck — members of the esteemed 10th Anniversary Gala Honorary Committee.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance begins its 10th anniversary year celebration on Saturday, May 3, 2025, with a gala honoring founder and lead benefactor Glorya Kaufman. Today, the school announced the establishment of its 10th Anniversary Gala Honorary Committee. The committee brings together a diverse group of artists and leaders across choreography, theater, entrepreneurship, and dance performance, reflecting the school’s multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach to dance education and artistic development.

Each lauded and distinguished in their respective areas, members share a special connection to the school or honoree Glorya Kaufman and are esteemed additions to the 10th Anniversary Gala celebration. Members of the Honorary Committee are:

• Kyle Abraham, Artistic Director and Choreographer
• Debbie Allen, Actress, Dancer, Choreographer, Singer, Director, Producer, former member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities
• Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dancer, Choreographer, Actor, and Founder/Artistic Director of Baryshnikov Arts
• Toni Basil, Choreographer, Dancer, Director, Producer, Recording Artist, and Street Dance Historian
• Sir Matthew Bourne OBE, Artistic Director and Choreographer
• Kris Bowers, Composer, Pianist, and Filmmaker; and Briana Nicole Henry, Actress and Producer
• Wayne Brady, Actor, Comedian, Singer 
• Camille A. Brown, Artistic Director and Choreographer, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Dancer, Director, Dance Educator
• Misty Copeland, Ballerina, Author, Producer, and Philanthropist
• Michelle Dorrance, Founder and Artistic Director, Dorrance Dance
• Rennie Harris, Founder, Rennie Harris Pure Movement
• Alonzo King, Artistic Director, Co-Founder, and Choreographer, Alonzo King LINES Ballet
• Sir Wayne McGregor CBE, Choreographer and Director
• Benjamin Millepied, Choreographer, Director, Filmmaker, Founder of L.A. Dance Project & Paris Dance Project
• Mandy Moore, Director, Producer, Choreographer, and Dancer
• Rachel S. Moore, President and CEO, The Music Center, L.A.’s Performing Arts Center
• Ohad Naharin, House Choreographer of Batsheva Dance Company and Creator of the Gaga Movement Language
• Leslie Odom Jr., Tony and Grammy Award-Winning, Three-Time Emmy and Two-Time Academy Award-Nominated Vocalist, Songwriter, Actor, and New York Times Bestselling Author
• Justin Peck, Director, Choreographer, Filmmaker, Dancer, Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor, New York City Ballet; and Patricia Delgado, Dancer, Choreographer, Educator, Producer, and Juilliard Faculty
• Tiler Peck, Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet, Choreographer, Author, and Designer
• Matthew Rushing, Interim Artistic Director, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Christopher Wheeldon OBE, Director/Choreographer
• Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director, New York City Ballet

The 10th-anniversary gala celebration, which will also serve as a fundraising opportunity to support the growth of the school, is set to feature a world premiere performance by BFA dance majors and USC Kaufman alumni, in addition to historical video retrospectives of the school’s first ten years. The evening will also highlight the philanthropy and generosity of school founder Glorya Kaufman, whose influence and vision continue to shape the trajectory of dance in Los Angeles and beyond.

In October, USC Kaufman announced plans to recognize the school’s first decade of existence. The school welcomed its first cohort of BFA dance majors in 2015. A year later, the University of Southern California officially opened the doors to the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, a 54,000 square-foot facility that represented the sixth performing arts school and the first new school to open at USC in nearly 40 years.

More information about USC Kaufman’s 10th Anniversary Gala can be found at kaufman10th.com.