October 2, 2018
USC Kaufman BFA students learn one of George Balanchine’s ballets from repetiteur Zippora Karz about once each semester; since our sophomores, juniors, and seniors are already well-acquainted with her process, we asked two BFA freshmen to write about their experience learning Allegro Brillante this month. Maria Rosenberg and Benjamin Peralta each give their take on the neoclassical work, set to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
September 14, 2018
By Rachel Harris
What better way to start the semester than by auditioning and working with Kidd Pivot company member Jermaine Spivey to learn Crystal Pite’s “Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue”?
August 31, 2018
By Kaylin Sturtevant
This past summer was one of my most exciting so far–I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to travel to Vancouver, British Colombia and assist Professor Thomas McManus in re-staging a work by William Forsythe on acclaimed company Ballet BC.
August 20, 2018
By Coco Alvarez-Mena and Mark Daftari
Several USC Kaufman students are attending this year’s AXIS Connect intensive, led by Barton Movement–its first half, in Los Angeles, took place in USC Kaufman’s studios, where they feel right at home. Below, two rising BFA seniors describe their experiences from week one.
August 16, 2018
By Ardyn Flynt
Patrick Corbin is, well, a joy. To take his class in the context of the Paul Taylor intensive at USC Kaufman was to spiral, contract, undercurve and giggle at the antics between him and fellow Taylor company alumna, Rachel.
July 23, 2018
By Evan Sagadencky
Deciding which summer intensive is just right for you is extremely difficult. When I found out that Jacob’s Pillow would be hosting a Gaga program with Ohad Naharin himself, Batsheva – The Young Ensemble and the current USC Kaufman faculty member Bret Easterling, I knew that I had to attend.
July 9, 2018
By Satori Folkes-Stone
I can’t remember when I first heard about Springboard Danse Montreal, but it’s been floating around in my head for years as the summer program; an untouchable, exclusive, high-caliber, career-defining experience. Naturally this fantastical conceptualization made getting in and finally attending the program feel ridiculously incomprehensible.
July 4, 2018
By Paulo Hernandez-Farella
While at USC, I have been pursuing a BFA in Dance, as one of 33 inaugural students who will be graduating in the spring of 2019. But what is incredibly unique about USC is that the incredible technical excellence instilled in every student is matched by the academia taught in world-famous research institution.
June 25, 2018
By Olivia Euritt
Over these past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of being a chaperone for the Advanced Hubbard Street Intensive here at USC. Not only was this an incredible opportunity to take advantage of the many classes they had to offer with a diverse grouping of professors, but also to understand some of the logistics that are required to execute a successful experience for young teens in dance.
June 16, 2018
By Dylan Balka
In our first LA Maymester lecture with professor Patrick Corbin, we were asked to make a sense of what dance provides to the county of Los Angeles, and how it influences people beyond its borders. We learned that the foundation of modern dance began in Southern California, with the debut of the Denishawn School in MacArthur Park, which gave way to many greats such as Martha Graham and Jack Cole.