Class of 2020
USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance’s BFA Class of 2020 is a scholarly, technically proficient and choreographic-minded group of dancers. During their time at USC Kaufman, they have fully embraced our core values of innovation and collaboration. They have become true hybrid artists who seek to transform dance and connect their dance studies to the world at large.
To learn more about each student, click on the photos below. On their profile pages, you can read their biographies, view their resumes and watch their dance reels. Some performance reels require a password. Please contact Elliott Scher at elliotms@usc.edu for access.
Mariana Carrillo
Mariana Carrillo
Mariana Carrillo started dancing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and has trained at Danza Tellez, Ballet Austin andSouthland Ballet Academy. Her professional work includes dancing for companies such as Ballet RED, Barak Ballet and Festival Ballet Theatre.
Brendan Evans
Brendan Evans
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Brendan Evans attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where he found his love for contemporary dance while training under Jiří Kylián repetiteur, Fiona Lummis.
Olivia Gieringer
Olivia Gieringer
Originally from Denver, Colorado, Olivia Gieringer received her training at Michelle Latimer Dance Academy and Denver School of the Arts. She has studied a variety of artistic forms under numerous master teachers and choreographers, including ballet, contemporary, modern, hip-hop and jazz.
Rachel Harris
Rachel Harris
Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rachel Harris began training at Dance Productions. While studying, Rachel participated and assisted choreog- raphers in competitions, scholarship pageants and conventions along the east coast. Her experiences and training landed her at the University of Southern California, where she is also studying architecture.
Whitney Hester
Whitney Hester
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Whitney Hester trained at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she studied ballet, modern and repertory from various choreographers. At the end of her junior year, Whitney was offered an apprenticeship with Complexions Contemporary Ballet where she spent her senior year performing repertory and new works by Co-Artistic Director, Dwight Rhoden.
Ausia Jones
Ausia Jones
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Ausia Jones began her training at the Dallas Conservatory under the direction of Jacqueline Porter. She continued her studies at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she had the honor of performing works by Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, Dwight Rhoden, Jessica Lang and more.
Alyssa Myers
Alyssa Myers
Originally from Yuma, Arizona, Alyssa Janae Myers began her dance training at Yuma Ballet Academy studying ballet and Horton technique under Emma Cong, Kathleen Sinclair and Jon Cristofori. At 12 years old, she joined their pre-professional company, Ballet Yuma, and danced in various classical ballets, as well as in new creations of contemporary works by Carley Conder, Joseph Jefferies and Ashley Walton.
Justin Pham
Justin Pham
Justin Pham is a choreographer, dancer and creative director originating from San Diego, California. In addition to studying dance at USC Kaufman, Justin is receiving his Minor in Cinematic Arts, focusing primarily on film production.
Lillie Pincus
Lillie Pincus
Originally from upstate New York, Lillie Pincus began her classical ballet training at the Draper Center
for Dance Education. While in Rochester, Lillie also danced and toured with Futurpointe Dance, a contemporary fusion company.
Rae Srivastava
Rae Srivastava
Originally from Austin, Texas, Rae Srivastava began his dance training with Cheryl Copeland. During high school, as his commitment to dance intensified, he found an equivalent devotion to the humanities. By continuing his education at USC Kaufman, he was able to pursue both of these vocations, interweaving these disparate fields into a cohesive curriculum.
Amaria Stern
Amaria Stern
A native of Dallas, Texas, Amaria Stern is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. At the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, she was introduced to a wide array of black vernacular styles and is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance with a concentration in Black Dance traditions.
Kaylin Sturtevant
Kaylin Sturtevant
Originally from Plano, Texas, Kaylin Sturtevant grew up training extensively in ballet, contemporary, and jazz at Dance Industry Performing Arts Center under Christy Wolverton-Ryzman. She also attended Booker T.Washington High School for the Performing and VisualArts in Dallas, where she was introduced to various forms of modern dance as well as repertory from choreographers like Aszure Barton and Jodie Gates.
Jakevis Thomason
Jakevis Thomason
Jakevis Thomason is from Greenville, South Carolina and started his training at Dianne’s School of Dance. He decided he wanted to keep pursuing his passion for dance during high school and discover more than just the competitive dance industry, eventually leading him to being apart of the USC Glorya Kaufman class of 2020.
Jake Tribus
Jake Tribus
Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, Jake Tribus grew up training at CC & Co. DanceComplex, competing in styles including contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap and ballet. During his junior year of high school, Jake attended Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, Florida, on full scholarship, while training in classical ballet under the directorship of Peter Stark.
Adam Vesperman
Adam Vesperman
Adam Charles Vesperman comes from Seattle, Washington, where he began his extensive training at Allegro Performing Arts Academy under the direction of Tonya Goodwillie and Tiffany Brooks. His training aimed to produce a versatile dancer with a wide range of experience. His training encompassed a variety of dance forms, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and musical theater.