Photo: USC Kaufman BFA Student Jessica Muszynsky | Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Faculty News

Professor Jackie Kopcsak in Maymester Program. Photo by Mary Mallaney

July 6, 2017

USC Kaufman faculty spreads out this summer

During the summer, the faculty of USC Kaufman takes a well-deserved break from classes and planning. Behind the scenes, however, they’re working on projects of their own–here’s a quick overview of just some of our faculty’s summer schedules.

Kaufman Faculty Member Dawn Stoppiello

June 14, 2017

New Faculty Member Dawn Stoppiello Explores Dance and the Digital Era

With both a BFA and and MFA in dance, along with years of experience in her field, Dawn Stoppiello joins the USC Kaufman faculty to teach on Dance in New Media. Her work at Troika Ranch combines her passion for media as well as somatic practices to explore dance and its relationship to the digital era.

USC Kaufman faculty member Patrick Corbin

April 5, 2017

Podcast “Conversations on Dance” features Patrick Corbin

USC Kaufman faculty member Patrick Corbin was featured in “Conversations on Dance,” a podcast hosted by ballet dancers Rebecca King and Michael Breeden.

Corbin, who is currently staging Paul Taylor’s “Arden Court” for the Miami City Ballet, spoke of his multi-genre background and his responsibility as Taylor’s repetiteur, coaching dancers to perfect the presentation of the choreographer’s works.

Listen to the talk on the “Conversations on Dance” podcast.

ForsytheChoreographicObjects2

April 3, 2017

More than a few things Forsythe this year

An enviable number of premieres and revivals of the works of choreographer and USC Kaufman School of Dance faculty member William Forsythe will be performed around the globe starting this spring. More than 14 of Forsythe’s ballets and 13 of his exhibitions are crossing seas to audiences from Tokyo to Madrid through the end of the year. In addition, four significant publications authored or about Forsythe will make their appearance in 2017.

Hip Hop Conference at GKIDC. Photo by Carolyn DiLoreto

March 8, 2017

‘The Cypher’ summit at USC Kaufman gathers hip-hop educators

A unique dialogue between hip-hop dance academics and practitioners began at the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center on March 5. “The Cypher: 2017 hip-hop dance education summit” gathered educators, choreographers, researchers, dancers and community leaders to strategize on the future of the art form.

Dusty Button of Boston Ballet in Faculty Member William Forsythe's "Artifact Suite". Photo published in the NYTimes

March 3, 2017

All eyes on Forsythe’s “Artifact,” on display at Boston Ballet

Currently on stage at Boston Ballet, William Forsythe’s “Artifact” has received broad attention from the media.

The piece, which the world renowned choreographer and USC Kaufman faculty member designed in 1984 for Ballett Frankfurt, has gone through a process of evolution since its inception more than three decades ago.

Fiona Lummis and Houston Ballet Dancers. Photo by Raven Nielsen

February 16, 2017

Fiona Lummis carries Kylián work to Houston Ballet and beyond

Jiří Kylián’s pupil and faculty artist in residence Fiona Lummis discusses the expanding legacy of emblematic choreographers from the second half of the 20th century as she stages Kylián’s “Stepping Stones” (1991) at The Houston Ballet.

USC Kaufman Faculty Member Gillian Finley.

February 6, 2017

Faculty Q&A with Gillian Finley

Gillian Finley, USC Kaufman’s newest lecturer, joined the faculty this spring and has an extensive background in both ballet and teaching. She has danced with Ballet Pacifica, Nevada Dance Theatre, and Eugene Ballet; along with a B.A. in Dance from the University of California Irvine, an M.A. in Arts Management from American University, and a Stott Pilates certification, Finley has dance experience that makes her the perfect fit for USC Kaufman’s blend of conservatory dance and university education.

Headshot of Jodie Gates

January 3, 2017

OC Register names Jodie Gates among the most influential in 2016

USC Kaufman Vice Dean and Director Jodie Gates was named among Orange County’s most influential people in 2016.

In a recent profile, The Orange County Register’s Paul Hodgins highlighted why Gates is an influencer: “Gates left a tenured position at UC Irvine to become the founding director of an innovative dance school at the University of Southern California. The Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, which christened its new building earlier this year, is one of the most significant and innovative dance schools in the country.”

Read the complete story on ocregisiter.com

Young dancers perform at a hip-hop dance competition | Photo by Isaac Brekken

December 7, 2016

Racked interviews hip-hop expert Moncell Durden

In a thorough review of hip-hop dance competitions, Racked’s Stephie Grob Plante gathered insights from USC Kaufman faculty member and hip-hop thought leader E. Moncell Durden.

“Hip-hop is now a mainstream dance form, not just across the US, but internationally as well. And once something gets that big and that ubiquitous, the end result is similar to a game of telephone: a mashup that constantly evolves with each new interpretation… Durden, the USC dance professor, who is also a member of the trailblazing hip-hop dance group Mop Top Crew, explains how much the form has grown since he first started dancing,” writes Grob Plante.

Read the article on Racked.