USC Kaufman Unveils Fall 2026 Programming Featuring Special Guests and Performances
September 3, 2026
Fall 2026 programming culminates in a professional showcase performance at USC’s Bing Theatre in December.
By USC Kaufman Staff
The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance today announced its artistic programming for the Fall 2026 semester, which culminates with a program of restaged masterworks and world premiere creations by USC Kaufman Artists-in-Residence and faculty at USC’s Bing Theatre, December 2-4, 2026.
This year’s fall 2026 artists-in-residence include Rafael Bonachela, artistic director of Sydney Dance Company; Al Blackstone, former Broadway star and Emmy Award winner; Addison Ector, stager and repetiteur for Complexions Contemporary Ballet; Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez and Breeze Lee, founders and artistic directors of VERSA-STYLE Street Dance Company; and Dwight Rhoden, artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
Additionally, new works will be created by renowned USC Kaufman faculty members Bret Easterling, Shannon J. Grayson, and Sara Silkin.
USC Kaufman Artists-in-Residence and are typically in residence for three to six weeks, choreographing new works or staging repertory for USC Kaufman.
“Engaging established artists and our faculty to work closely with our students is a core part of what we do,” said USC Kaufman Dean Julia M. Ritter. “We’re once again pleased to have such a prestigious group of people passing along their wisdom and creating original works on our BFA students, which will be unique to them and their talents.”
eXperience Kaufman Dance Center
USC Kaufman 10th anniversary year celebration continues on Saturday, October 17 with eXperience Kaufman Dance Center, an immersive day of performance and installation at the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. The event coincides with the 10th anniversary since the building opened in October of 2016.
The event encourages guests to create their own path through a vibrant series of experiences, including performances, interactive workshops, hands-on activations, and immersive surprises curated by USC Kaufman faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Each stop offers a new way to engage with dance and the people who make the space come alive.
Guest Appearances in New York City and Cairo, Egypt
USC Kaufman is proud to partner with Complexions Contemporary Ballet as part of the company’s Collegiate Celebration. The 14 dancers selected for the new work by Dwight Rhoden, a Fall 2026 Artist-in-Residence, will travel to New York City to perform alongside the company at the Joyce Theater in November, officially bringing to a close the special events and performances of USC Kaufman’s 10th Anniversary Celebration.
USC Kaufman will also travel to Cairo, Egypt this November for the prestigious Gala de Danza, which brings together dance, music, and art with world-renowned artists and rising international talent. The venue, the Grand Egyptian Museum, is one of the world’s most significant cultural landmarks. This collaboration unites classical and contemporary within a monumental setting, creating a powerful dialogue between ancient civilization and modern creativity on an international stage.
About the Artists – Fall 2026
Rafael Bonachela, Artist-in-Residence. Born in Barcelona and forged at London’s legendary Rambert Dance Company, Bonachela has spent three decades pushing contemporary dance into unexpected territory — from Kylie Minogue’s iconic 2002 Brit Awards performance to the Paris Opéra Ballet’s 350th Anniversary Gala. Learn More
Al Blackstone, Artist-in-Residence. Raised on the Jersey Shore in a family dance studio, Blackstone was born to move and born to create. A former Broadway performer in Wicked, he has since become one of America’s most beloved choreographer-directors — winning the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for his work on So You Think You Can Dance. Learn More
Bret Easterling, USC Kaufman Lecturer. A Juilliard-trained artist who grew up performing on screen before discovering his calling in contemporary dance, Easterling spent eight transformative years with Ohad Naharin’s Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv. Learn More
Addison Ector, Artist-in-Residence. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ector found his calling at 13 through the Debbie Allen Dance Academy before earning a scholarship to The Ailey School in New York. Five years with Complexions Contemporary Ballet took him across the globe, followed by seasons with TanzCompany Innsbruck in Austria. Learn More
Shannon J. Grayson, USC Kaufman Assistant Professor of Practice. A Baton Rouge native and Howard University graduate, Grayson shaped her artistry through Chicago’s vibrant dance scene — performing with Muntu Dance Theatre, teaching through Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and choreographing across the city. Learn More
Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez & Breeze Lee, Artists-in-Residence. Founded in 2005 when two UCLA students discovered their shared vision, VERSA-STYLE Street Dance Company has spent two decades bringing the electrifying energy of Hip Hop and street dance to the concert stage. Learn More
Dwight Rhoden, Artist-in-Residence. A native of Dayton, Ohio, who began dancing at just 17, Rhoden rose to become a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater before co-founding Complexions Contemporary Ballet in 1994 — widely celebrated as America’s original multicultural dance company. Learn More
Sara Silkin, USC Kaufman Lecturer. A French-American artist with a dance degree from UCLA and an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Sara Silkin has carved out a singular space at the intersection of movement and film. Learn More