As the university’s sixth art school, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance completes USC’s signature reputation as a world-class academic institution with a deep commitment to the arts. With its innovative vision for arts education, USC Kaufman is at the forefront of developing the dancers, choreographers and leaders of the future. The state-of-the-art Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center is the largest facility dedicated to dance at any private university.
BFA in dance students Sidney Chuckas (Class of 2021) and Lenai Wilkerson (Class of 2019). Photo by Rose Eichenbaum.
Founded in 2015, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance embodies excellence in the interdisciplinary study of dance creation and performance. Dance in the twenty-first century is a dynamic art form, and the professionals who will shape the future of the field will need to move seamlessly within this changing landscape. These thought and practice leaders will embrace innovation alongside tradition, study classical genres as well as new dance forms, and engage with new technologies while respecting traditional mediums. USC Kaufman is creating a new model for dance in which intersecting dance techniques create hybrid art forms that may be expressed through performance, choreography, media and/or scholarship. USC Kaufman students, faculty and staff are at the forefront of The New Movement.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance provides students a rigorous conservatory experience at one of the world’s leading private research universities. The BFA curriculum includes world-class dance training in ballet, hip hop, and contemporary dance, a robust performance repertory, exposure to world-renowned practicing artists, opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary projects, and training in wellness, dance science, and strategic career venture skills, while also providing access to an invaluable liberal arts education.
Led by Dean Robert Cutietta and Vice Dean Jodie Gates, USC Kaufman faculty are highly regarded in the field and have an unparalleled depth and diversity of experience. The school’s renowned Artists in Residence include leading dance innovators such as Aszure Barton, Marjani Fortè-Saunders, Zippora Karz, Fiona Lummis, Barak Marshall, Victor Quijada, Desmond Richardson, and Jermaine Spivey. Under the faculty’s tutelage, including celebrated choreographer William Forsythe, USC Kaufman students receive the highest caliber of training. Students have worked with and performed repertoire by some of the most profound artists in dance, including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Martha Graham, Jiří Kylián, Crystal Pite, Paul Taylor and many more.
Established relationships with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center, Dance Camera West, the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, the USC Thornton School of Music, and the USC School of Cinematic Arts afford significant opportunities to collaborate with acclaimed artists, scholars and institutions. The school’s location in Los Angeles, a global center for the arts and entertainment, provides additional artistic and professional opportunities.
In addition to its BFA, USC Kaufman offers a wide variety of classes open to all USC students. Technique classes are offered in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Commercial Dance, African-Dance, Tap, Bollywood and Ballroom. General Education courses on the history and culture of dance provide a rewarding introduction to the field. USC students may also pursue minors in Choreography for Stage and Screen; Dance; Hip Hop, Street and Social Dance Forms; and Dance in Entertainment.
USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center
849 West 34th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089-3521
213-740-9327
Email: uscdance@usc.edu
Administration
Robert A. Cutietta, DEd, Dean
Jodie Gates, Vice Dean and Artistic Director
Renae Williams Niles, Associate Dean of Administration
Anne-Aubert Santelli, Assistant Dean of Admission and Student Services
Faculty
Professor: Jodie Gates
Claude and Alfred Mann Professor of Practice in Dance: William Forsythe
Associate Professor of Dance: Margo Apostolos, PhD
Assistant Professors of Practice: Patrick Corbin, MFA; Alison D’Amato, PhD; E. Moncell Durden; d. Sabela grimes, MFA; Jackie Kopcsak, MFA; Bruce McCormick, MFA; Thomas McManus, MFA; Jennifer McQuiston Lott, MFA; Dawn Stoppiello, MFA
Adjunct Professors of Dance: Saleemah Knight, MFA; Bonnie Oda Homsey, MFA
Lecturers: Tiffany Bong; Kathryn Dunn; Bret Easterling; Gillian Finley; Sarah Fried-Gintis, PhD; Jesus Fuentes; Shannon Grayson; Anindo Marshall; Achinta S. McDaniel; Amy O’Neal; Christian Vincent, MFA
Instructor of Clinical Physical Therapy and Instructor of Dance: Marisa Hentis, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
Artists in Residence: Aszure Barton; Hop Boykin; Marjani Fortè-Saunders; Zippora Karz; Fiona Lummis; Barak Marshall; Victor Quijada; Desmond Richardson; Jermaine Spivey
Bachelor’s Degree
Minor
Dance
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