USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance

This fall, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance welcomes Dr. Marisa Hentis, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, who will teach Physical Therapy and Dance Science. We asked her to share a bit about herself, her practice and her advice for students.

USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance alumnae Satori Folkes-Stone (BFA ’19) and Madison Vomastek (BFA ’19), who recently finished with their undergraduate studies, are packing up and moving across the country to another big city. The two dancers will join the cast of the upcoming Broadway revival of West Side Story.

Next month, REDCAT’s New Original Works Festival will close its last weekend of three with USC Kaufman alumnus Austyn Rich’s (BFA ’19) latest work, BL**DY SPAGHETTI. Rich and fellow alumnus Alvaro Montelongo (BFA ’19) will perform the work. 

This summer, USC Kaufman’s Board of Councilors gains two new members: Donya Bommer and Ramona Cappello. Both USC alumnae with strong ties to dance, these two members will serve alongside Dean Robert Cutietta and the rest of the board to support the art form in a university setting.

Three USC Kaufman alumni have already returned to the studios to teach at the Taylor intensive in Los Angeles—Corbin trusts them that much. While Corbin and former Taylor dancer Rachel Berman teach Taylor technique and repertory, Ardyn Flynt (BFA ’19) and Olivia Euritt (BFA ’19) will teach Funkamental MediKinetics and Yoga, respectively. Justin Epstein (BFA ’19) will accompany classes.

The ephemeral nature of dance as an art form is widely discussed throughout the medium—how, scholars ask, can we archive the history of a movement that begins and ends with the blink of an eye? A new project at the USC Libraries is taking one approach to this eternal problem.

June 30 is an important annual deadline. It is the end of our fiscal year and a time where we reflect on the school’s many accomplishments, thanks to the generosity of our annual supporters and friends. With only one week left in fiscal year 2019, we hope you will consider donating to fund critical scholarships for incoming and current USC Kaufman students.

Los Angeles-based choreographer Marissa Osato is in her element at the New Movement Residency—with time and space to choreograph in her own neighborhood, she finds that concentrated resources help her cast of local dancers to focus and create. She’s using the time to reimagine her MFA thesis, The Spectacular Society.

New Movement Residency artist Micaela Taylor and her company The TL Collective have made quite the name for themselves in recent years. Based in Los Angeles, the company has several stages to hit this summer.

Testa applied for USC Kaufman’s New Movement Residency this year with the general idea that he would make a new work. Upon seeing the high ceilings and expansive space at the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, however, he decided to go bigger.

USC Kaufman is seeking applicants for a full-time position as Administrative Associate. Reporting directly to Director of Faculty Affairs and Human Resources, the Administrative Associate will provide direct administrative support in the areas of faculty affairs, human resources, and student services.

The first cohort to graduate from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance houses more than just dancers. Each has a multifaceted set of interests that allows them a unique career path. Below, and in two other posts, they discuss their intentions for work post-commencement.

The graduates of the inaugural BFA class at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance have a diverse set of career paths ahead of them. Below, read a little about each graduate, where they’re going next, and the goals they aim to achieve.

USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and USC Thornton School of Music students are in France through June 9 for our 2019 Paris Maymester. During this course, students explore moments in Parisian salon culture as sites of artistic inspiration and collaboration.

USC Kaufman is seeking two Admission and Student Services Officers. Both full-time positions will report directly to the Assistant Dean of Admission and Student Services. These individuals will work closely with a dynamic team of staff and faculty in delivering a range of student services.

The first class of graduates from the USC Kaufman BFA program hosts a range of polymaths. Get to know more about where they’re headed after commencement, their career goals and more.

Throughout the curriculum implemented at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, BFA dance students interact with many faculty members on a daily basis. Several faculty members have assumed mentorship positions for these students, whether they know it or not.

On Friday, May 10, 2019, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance graduated its first-ever class of BFA students. Watch the ceremony’s keynote address from internationally-acclaimed dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and read more about the school’s satellite ceremony.

On Saturday, April 27, USC Kaufman Board of Councilors members, Founder’s Circle members, faculty, staff and the graduating BFA Class of 2019 joined together to celebrate the school’s meteoric rise since its grand opening in the fall of 2015.

With graduation just around the corner, USC Kaufman’s inaugural class of BFA students has acquired countless memories. Here, they reflect on a few of their favorite moments, and on their overall growth as artists and scholars.

As USC Kaufman’s Class of 2019 prepares for this week’s commencement, two international students offer advice for those considering USC Kaufman. Though the distance may be great, these graduating seniors explain how they have found their niche within the larger university.

Last month, several BFA students from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance traveled to Los Cabos, Mexico to perform at the annual Gala de Danza. The gala, founded by Christina Lyon, began in 2013 when Lyon visited Cabo San Lucas.

Student Aurora Vaughan (BFA ’21) offers her own perspective on mental health and wellness at USC Kaufman. We spoke with her briefly about her own experiences before and during her time in college, and about the resources she hopes to implement in the future.

When dance major Justin Epstein (BFA ’19) pitched his senior project late last year, he had big aspirations. Epstein wanted to create a live interactive experience, with music, projections, and dance. All would be manipulated spontaneously throughout the evening.

Lenai Wilkerson (BFA ’19) was told at age 12 that she would not become a professional dancer. She was serious about ballet and had already decided it was her future career, but her dance teacher suggested basketball or track instead. Her passion, the teacher said, would not be enough.

This month, choreographer Jiří Kylián was elected into the Académie des Beaux-Arts, one of the five academies of the Institut de France. Kylián will join Section VI: membres libres, or free members. Opera manager Hugues R. Gall, also a member of Section VI, will announce and invite Kylián formally to the Académie.

May 4 is USC’s annual day of giving, commonly known to the Trojan Family as Day of SCupport. It’s a campus-wide fundraising initiative where alumni, parents, and friends join together to give back and share what they Fight On for (or as we like to say, Dance On)!

USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance student Satori Folkes-Stone (BFA ’19) had her senior project in mind long before she presented it live on March 28. Her process began more than six months earlier—by last August, she had already conceptualized the piece and assembled a team.

Sending kids to college is hard for every parent. However, in talking to parents (mine included), I’ve gathered that it is comforting to know that here at USC Kaufman, your dancer becomes a part of our family. Here are some stories and snippets of advice from current parents on sending their dancers to USC Kaufman.

Robert N. Braun, M.D., the newest member of the USC Kaufman Board of Councilors, is a well-established patron of the arts. Using his experience in these organizations, Braun will work alongside Dean Robert Cutietta and other board members to advance USC Kaufman’s mission.