USC Kaufman makes its school debut at the prestigious Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival | Photo by Becca Oviatt, courtesy of Jacob's Pillow

Looking back on USC Kaufman’s Jacob’s Pillow debut and inaugural performance at the Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre at Boston University.

Valerie Chen took a moment to soak in the scenery.

“What a rich oasis brimming with appreciation for dance, art, and history,” reflected Chen, a member of USC Kaufman’s Class of 2024. “Truly a haven for dancers to visit.”

Chen refers to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Massachusetts. Situated in the idyllic Berkshire forest, the long-running dance festival is notable as the first and only Landmark dance institution in the United States. For nearly 100 years, it has hosted some of the world’s most illustrious dance companies and figures. Familiar ones include Mikhail Baryshnikov, Katherine Dunham, the Paris Opera Ballet, and, for the first time this season, The Royal Ballet.

On July 24, 2024, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and 21 current and recently graduated BFA students added their names to the Pillow’s long and storied history, performing for the first time as a school on the outdoor Leir Stage. Three days later, it was on to Boston for a performance at the Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre at Boston University, the last leg of USC Kaufman’s first-ever East Coast tour.

There was time to celebrate. In a reception that followed the closing show in Boston, USC Kaufman, the USC Alumni Association, and USC Trustee Shelley Nemirovsky hosted Boston-area Trojans, USC Kaufman Board of Councilor members, and USC President Carol Folt, who spoke on the ongoing growth of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and its soon approaching 10th anniversary year. Particularly relevant, she said, was the school’s fast progress despite its short decade of existence.    

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A memorable tour run emphasized the point. Curated by Assistant Dean of Programming and Special Projects Jackie Kopcsak, the Boston tour featured a program of four original works of dance created exclusively for and on USC Kaufman BFA students. They included Medulla Problems by Claude and Alfred Mann Professor Kyle Abraham, … Loving Well by Artist-in-Residence Hope Boykin, L/Anding by Lecturer Nina Flagg, and the world premiere Sweet Nothings by Kopcsak.

“Performing at Jacob’s Pillow was an achievement that Kaufman has looked forward to for some time and we made the most of it,” said USC Kaufman Dean Julia Ritter. “Boston and the Booth Theatre was a bonus, a chance to make connections with the college of Fine Arts at Boston University and Boston-based Trojans. So much work goes into appearances like this. The students, faculty, staff, and our Board of Councilors deserve endless credit for making these moments happens.”

The USC Kaufman 2024 Summer Tour is made possible by The Lau Family, Tour Lead Benefactors; The Noble Family Collaborative Arts Fund. Additional support provided by The Rod & Elsie Nakamoto Travel Fund; The Robert N. Braun, MD & Joan Friedman, MD Travel Fund. Special thanks to Shelly Nemirovsky, Hank and Gerry Alpert and the USC Kaufman Board of Councilors.