Kyle Abraham, MFA, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow. He is the founding Artistic Director of A.I.M, an American contemporary dance company. In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, Abraham has been commissioned by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center, The Royal Ballet, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Margo Apostolos, PhD, is a pioneering scholar in robot choreography, dance medicine and dance for sports. Dr. Apostolos is also the author of Dance for Sports: A Practical Guide (2018) published by Oxford University Press.
Tiffany Bong is a global hip-hop dance artist, entrepreneur and community leader whose cultural education company brings hip-hop into Los Angeles K-12 schools.
Patrick Corbin, MFA, is a former dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and an internationally-renowned artist whose 30-year career bridges the worlds of classical ballet, modern and contemporary dance.
Alison D’Amato, PhD, is a researcher, choreographer and performer passionate about working at the intersection of theory and practice. She teaches topics in critical dance studies and dance history.
Kathryn “Kate” Dunn is a dancer, choreographer and educator known for performing on stage, screen and Broadway. Broadway/West End credits include Contact, On Your Toes, Chicago, Billy Elliot, Matilda the Musical, Groundhog Day and Dirty Dancing.
E. Moncell Durden is a dancer, educator, practitioner, historian, ethnographer, author and documentarian, who specializes in the pedagogical practices of social dance forms over the last four centuries.
Bret Easterling is an international dance artist, creator and educator. After graduating from The Juilliard School, he performed with the Batsheva Dance Company. He is currently a certified Gaga teacher, stager of Ohad Naharin’s work and the Artistic Director of BEMOVING.
Gillian Finley is a certified Stott Pilates instructor who danced professionally with a number of ballet companies. She brings over 25 years of teaching experience to USC Kaufman.
Jesus “Jay” Fuentes is an accomplished ballroom dance educator and performer featured in iconic dance films such as Dirty Dancing and Newsies.
Jodie Gates is an internationally recognized leader, choreographer, curator, lecturer, teacher and stager. A former principal with Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Complexions and Pennsylvania Ballet, she is inaugural Vice Dean and Director of USC Kaufman and Founder and Artistic Director of Laguna Dance Festival. Projects include Billboards with Prince, events with Ornette Coleman and Savion Glover, and current collaborations with William Forsythe.
Shannon Johnson Grayson is a dancer, choreographer, educator and Howard University Graduate with a BFA in Dance Arts. She has taught for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for over a decade, is a certified Horton Technique instructor, NASM Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach, and teaches various techniques and genres of dance at USC Kaufman.
d. Sabela grimes, MFA, is a choreographer, writer and composer whose Funkamental MediKinetics movement system focuses on the methodical dance training and community-building elements evident in Black vernacular and street dance forms.
Dr. Marisa Hentis, DPT, OCS, CSCS, is a physical therapist who specializes in the performing arts. She is board-certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
Paul Hodgins is a musician, composer, arts journalist, critic and educator who has worked with dancers and choreographers in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. for four decades. Hodgins is an important contributor to the field of choreomusicology, the study of relationships between music and dance.
Bonnie Homsey is a performer in concert and commercial work, artistic director and educator. She founded Los Angeles Dance Foundation in 1978 to cultivate awareness of dance legacies and to strengthen capacity-building. For 20 years, she served as Chair of Dance and Arts Advisory Board for The Princess Grace Foundation-USA. She currently serves on The Actor’s Fund Western Council.
Saleemah E. Knight, BFA, MFA, is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary artist, TV-personality, influencer and professional dancer. Commercial performance and choreography credits include: The Daytime Emmys, Dancing with the Stars, Country Music Television, The Lion King, Beyoncé, Chris Brown and more. She also danced works of renowned concert choreographers Donald Byrd, Bill T. Jones and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
Jackie Kopcsak, MFA, is a ballet teacher, choreographer and dance historian who received her dance training at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Anindo Marshall is a percussionist and certified Dunham Technique instructor who teaches Afro-Cuban dance.
Bruce McCormick, MFA, is an educator, choreographer, performer and scholar who danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, the Bavarian State Ballet and the Bern Ballet. He has presented his own work internationally.
Achinta S. McDaniel is a pioneer of contemporary Indian dance and the Artistic Director of Blue13 Dance Company. Her work has been featured in film, music videos and television. McDaniel primarily teaches Bollywood and Dance in Popular Culture.
Jennifer McQuiston Lott, MFA, is a dancer/choreographer who has collaborated with music artists such as Son Lux on projects for stage and screen. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the Traverse City Dance Project. She teaches Countertechnique and contemporary partnering, and is certified in GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS®.
Amy O’Neal is an award-winning hybrid dancer, choreographer and educator. Her experience and research meet at the intersection of hip-hop, house, and contemporary dance and experimental performance, video and film.
Dawn Stoppiello, MFA, is Co-Founder of Troika Ranch, a critically acclaimed performance ensemble that has been integrating computer technology in live performance since the 1980s. A Bessie and Princess Grace Statue Award winner, Stoppiello has performed, taught and lectured extensively.
Rosanna Tavarez, MFA, is a choreographer, performer and educator. She worked with Marina Ambramovic, Ryan Heffington, Travis Payne, Tony Michaels and Rosanna Gamson/Worldwide. She toured with N’SYNC and Jessica Simpson and covered the Emmys, Grammys and Oscars in addition to hosting her own shows for FOX, E! and Telemundo/NBC. Tavarez teaches Countertechnique and is a certified 500-RYT Yoga Instructor.