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Student Blog

Peter Chu wearing maroon mask, black sweatshirt, and navy sweatpants

October 15, 2021

Student Blog: Working with Peter Chu

Cameron Cofrancesco (BFA ’22) shared his experience working with guest artist Peter Chu. According to Cofrancesco, “Working with guest artist Peter Chu was a lively and refreshing experience. Chu emphasizes connecting with the body on a deeper level and initiating movement in ways I’ve never been taught before.”

Dancer wearing yellow shirt in front of studio

October 6, 2021

Student Blog: Working with Toyin Sogunro

As part of our Repertory and Performance course this semester, third and fourth-year students get to work with many different guest artists on creating solo material. Elise Monson (BFA ’22) discusses working with guest artist Toyin Sogunro, a Los Angeles-based dance artist from Ladies of Hip-Hop.

Dancers facing multiple directions with right hand raised and left hand lowered

September 29, 2021

Student Blog: Working with Kara Wilkes

Eli Alford (BFA ’22) shares his experience working with guest artist Kara Wilkes, the current rehearsal director for Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Wilkes taught choreography to upperclass BFA students through Zoom from Oakland, Calif. The solos will later be professionally filmed for the students’ reels.

A man in a white shirt and black pants kicks his leg in the air in a dance studio.

September 21, 2021

Student Blog: Academic opportunities at USC

Functioning as a conservatory within a university, USC Kaufman enables its students to investigate other areas of academic or artistic interests within one of the world’s leading research institutions. Eli Alford (BFA ’22) talks about how his minor and general education courses influence his dance practices.

A man in a pale red shirt and orange pants embraces a woman on stage with a low ponytail wearing a pale red dress.

September 3, 2021

Student Blog: Performing Iconic Repertory

At USC Kaufman, students have the opportunity to enroll in Repertory and Performance where they learn established repertoire and explore the creation process of new works. Elise Monson (BFA ’22) describes her experience in this course as it varies each semester in what is taught and who is brought in for new creations.

Woman wearing a mask and headset teaches conditioning class

August 10, 2021

Student Blog: Eli Alford shares highlights from Summer Bridge

One of my most memorable classroom experiences so far would have to be Afro-Cuban with Professor Anindo Marshall. Until the Kaufman Summer Bridge, I hadn’t had the opportunity to learn from Professor Marshall nor experience this exciting dance form. In class, she and one of our incredible accompanists drums as we create polyrhythms with our bodies and movement. The high energy drumming paired with the expressive movement creates an experience unlike anything that can be felt online.

Lauren Brophy looking over her left shoulder in Paris

August 4, 2021

Student Blog: Summer Intensives in Southern California and Paris

After a long year of virtual dance, I was eager to participate in a few in-person summer intensives, including Laguna Dance Festival in Irvine, Calif. and SHARE: The Dance Intensive in Paris, France. Both intensives were a wonderful way to reconnect with my peers and the dance community as a whole, and my excitement to return to in-person instruction at USC Kaufman is more magnified than ever!

A dancer wearing an orange tank top and blue pants lifts their leg over their head and reaches their hand to the ground.

July 22, 2021

Alumni Blog: BODYTRAFFIC Intensive

Pulling off an online intensive can be a daunting task. Because of this, I was not sure what to expect from a two week long, seven hours a day Zoom intensive with the dance company BODYTRAFFIC. I am happy to report that the experience was not only inspiring, but humbling as well.

Two men and one woman stand in a triangle formation on a city street. The two dancers wearing white help the central male dancer take off his black leather jacket.

June 10, 2021

Student Blog: Writing “Love a Little Harder”

With dance studios closed due to COVID-19, Jonathan Alexander (BFA ’23) wanted to find new ways to hone his creativity during quarantine. While exploring new mediums, he found a passion for songwriting, which led him to produce his first pop single, “Love a Little Harder.”