Abroad Opportunities
USC Kaufman is committed to providing all BFA students will the opportunity to go abroad, whether through a performance opportunity or Maymester program. All programs, including travel abroad for performances, include a cultural component.
Performances Abroad
USC Kaufman students often have the opportunity to travel, performing on stages and engaging with dance communities around the world. At Gala de Danza in Los Cabos, Mexico, students performed both repertory and commissioned works alongside seasoned professionals, and even had the opportunity to present original work. BFA students also performed at the USC Global Conference in Tokyo, Japan. Select students had the chance to collaborate with other artists at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, England. Most recently, most third- and fourth-year students during the 2021-2022 academic year were invited to perform in Fürth, Germany.
Maymesters
During Maymesters, USC Kaufman students travel abroad at the end of their spring semester. These three-to four-week courses allow students to explore and immerse themselves in the world around them. Previous Maymesters have included the Paris Maymester, which was offered for four years—and will again be offered in Spring 2025—and the Berlin Maymester.
Upcoming opportunities in 2024–2025
Upcoming travel abroad opportunities during the 2024–2025 academic year include:
Relevant News
Student Blog: USC Kaufman’s European Debut
USC Kaufman performed at the Stadttheater Fürth for their European debut. Colin Heino (BFA ’23) talks about the experience: “dancing at the Stadttheater Fürth taught me not only about what it feels like to tour and dance abroad, but also about myself and the artist I want to become. I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life.”
Student Blog: USC Kaufman students prepare to perform in Germany
Jenna Meilman (BFA ‘23) and Jessalyn Ward (BFA ‘23) will perform July 21-23, 2022 at the Stadttheater Fürth in Fürth, Germany with recent USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance graduates and fellow classmates. As they prepare, they share their experiences on the three-week rehearsal process leading up to the USC Kaufman Debut in Germany.
Student Blog: Leaving Inspired by Dance in Berlin
Lauren Brophy (BFA ’23) and several of her peers recently traveled to Berlin, Germany for the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance Maymester. This year’s program was led by professors Bruce McCormick and Thomas McManus, who both have lived in Germany. In this student blog, Lauren shares her experience seeing live performances in Germany and reflects on the three-week course.
Student Blog: Learning About Culture and History in Berlin
Ashton Benn (BFA ’24) and several other BFA students just finished their second week in Berlin, Germany as part of USC Kaufman’s Maymester. In this student blog, Ashton shares what she hopes to discover about herself through her travels and reflects on her first impressions of Berlin, including taking class at Radialsystem studios.
Student Blog: Being Immersed in the Berlin Arts Scene
Hayden Rivas (BFA ’24) is currently in Berlin, Germany on a Maymester with the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. This three-week long course is led by USC Kaufman professors Thomas McManus and Bruce McCormick. During the trip, BFA students will have the opportunity to attend dance classes, watch opera and avant-garde performance viewings, and take architecture tours, among other cultural experiences.
Student Blog: Collaboration in a Parisian context
Towards the end of the Paris Maymester, USC Thornton and Kaufman students worked in collaboration on original creations. We spent a few hours of studio time improvising with one another, and the following day we broke into small groups to create pieces that reflected on our Parisian experiences.
Student Blog: Ode to a found flâneur
Rachel Harris (BFA ’20) writes “Ode to a found flâneur,” a poem inspired by her time in Paris with the USC Kaufman and USC Thornton Maymester.
Student Blog: Win McCain on arts patronage in France
In comparing the European attitude of supporting the arts, there is a distinct difference between that of the United States and France. During my time here in Paris, I have been able to see different aspects of that in how governmental politics intersect with daily life.