USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance

Parsons Dance created a virtual apprenticeship program to introduce collegiate dancers to their company as well as the inner workings of a professional dance setting. This semester, Aurora Vaughan (BFA ‘21), Luke Csordas (BFA ‘22) and Simon Schuh (BFA ‘21) are participating in the program in tandem with their BFA training.

As the Class of 2021 embarks on their final semester, they are beginning to plan for life after graduation. A number of seniors – including Simrin Player and Mariano Zamora González – chose to pursue minors. They now reflect on how this shaped their time at USC Kaufman and their career ambitions.

This spring, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance welcomes three new Artists in Residence with diverse choreography experiences. These new artists – Dwight Rhoden, Micaela Taylor and Doug Varone – will join fellow Artists in Residence Marjani Forté-Saunders and Victor Quijada in working with the BFA students this semester.

Working with Zeitgeist Dance Theatre (ZDT) this past summer was not only an exploration of movement and storytelling, but also an investigation into the current landscape in America. ZDT planned to have a live performance in Salt Lake City, Utah to premiere the new company. However, we switched to an entirely virtual setting because of the global pandemic.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance welcomes dancers from around the globe and this academic year was no exception. Last fall, Diego Lopez, Hayden Rivas and Hope Patterson, all members of the Class of 2024, began their USC Kaufman journeys as international students. Read on to learn more about their experiences thus far.

Every school year, USC Kaufman proudly offers its students the opportunity to learn a variety of renowned repertory and to work with some of the most distinguished artists in the field. Even though instruction remains online, USC Kaufman looks forward to continuing this tradition in the Spring 2021 semester.

Ryan Phuong (BFA ’24) strives to balance industry work in both acting and commercial dance with his BFA training at USC Kaufman. He was recently featured in the Netflix documentary “Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker.”

The Spring 2021 Welcome Experience, which supports students as they acclimate to the University of Southern California, will take place Jan. 11 through Feb. 20. As part of the Welcome Experience, USC Kaufman will be offering USC students a variety of free introductory classes starting Jan. 16.

During the fall semester the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance’s community engagement initiative, Kaufman Connections, forged on despite having to adapt to an online format. In addition to engaging community artists, the program organized a virtual hip-hop dance celebration for 32nd Street Elementary School students and their families.

2020 tested the resolve of the entire University of Southern California community. Nevertheless, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance proved to have a busy and successful year. USC Kaufman embarked on a multitude of unique artistic endeavors, despite the world pivoting to the virtual space in March. As 2020 comes to an end, USC Kaufman revisits some of these memorable moments.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance seeks three full-time faculty members, as well as candidates for the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professorship in Dance, a part-time position for an internationally acclaimed artist with expertise in Choreography, Composition, and/or Concert Dance. 

This past summer, USC Kaufman alum Rachel Harris created Make Space with her sister Jacquelin. This community would soon provide workshops as an outlet for dancers seeking unity and creativity in a time of stress and isolation.

This past semester, sophomore musical theatre students worked with USC Kaufman faculty members Kate Dunn and Dawn Stoppiello, Tony Award-winner Peter Darling and Artistic Director Jacob Jonas to produce short dance films to musical theatre songs.

Since their graduation and virtual celebration in May, members of the Class of 2020 have begun to establish themselves in the dance world and beyond. These artist scholars have embarked on opportunities with renowned companies, community outreach, teaching and training, commercial dance and more.

Today we celebrate Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving and support for the organizations and causes closest to our hearts. Here at USC Kaufman, we celebrate our students, their artistry and the life transforming educational opportunity provided by the USC Kaufman Dance Scholarship Fund and donors like you.

With college application deadlines on the horizon, USC Kaufman students joined Assistant Dean of Admission and Student Services Anne Aubert-Santelli to offer admission advice for prospective students. 

The Progressive Degree Program at USC allows BFA students to blend their dance training with other academic and career aspirations outside the art form. Read on to learn about current USC Kaufman students pursuing progressive degrees.

While this semester presented many challenges for the USC Kaufman community, a collection of students, staff and faculty came together to share what they are feeling thankful for at this time of year.

The University of Southern California offers BFA students a wide array of extracurricular activities. Students can explore interests and opportunities outside the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance to enhance both their academic and social experiences at USC.

On September 27, USC Kaufman hosted an information session for prospective international students over Zoom. Anne Aubert-Santelli, Assistant Dean of Admission and Student Services at USC Kaufman, led the meeting with help from current BFA students.

This fall, USC Kaufman awarded three students from the Class of 2024 with scholarships made possible through donor support, including two Glorya Kaufman Scholars and the recipient of the Felix Family Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance invites applications for Artists in Residence. USC Kaufman seeks collaborative, dynamic and innovative practicing artists to teach one or more dance techniques and/or dance studies in field(s) of expertise.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance offers a multitude of elective courses that are exclusive to dance majors. Next semester, they have opened up select classes to dance minors and to all USC students. Keep reading to learn more about these Spring 2021 virtual courses that are now open for registration.

Ate9 has been consistently taking the necessary precautions to slow the spread of the virus while keeping our community safe. They require us to wear masks, social distance and regularly wash hands. Once we began in person, everything just fell into place.

Learn about some of the contemporary faculty working with BFA students this semester, including Associate Professor of Practice Patrick Corbin, Assistant Professor of Practice Jennifer McQuiston Lott and Lecturer Bret Easterling.

We are excited to share our plans for the Spring 2021 semester. As the COVID-19 situation evolves and new information becomes available, we will update this page accordingly so please check back frequently. Unless otherwise stated, this information pertains to BFA in Dance students.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance will be offering a variety of new dance electives in the Spring 2021 semester. Learn about DANC 499 Special Topics classes open to all USC students, including Rhythm Nations, Iconic Dance Films of the Twentieth Century, Mindfulness for Dancers, and Dance Masters Forum.

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance will be offering a number of engaging virtual dance electives in the Spring 2021 semester. Read on to discover some of the new DANC 499 Special Topics courses, which are open to all students at USC!

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance announced the members of its newly formed Artistic Advisory Committee and Curriculum Committee. According to Dean Robert Cutietta, both of these groups will play an integral role in the school and its continued success.

The University of Southern California recently announced that they have permanently designated Professor Jodie Gates as the “Founding Director of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance” in recognition of her fundamental role in creating our dance school.