USC Kaufman School of Dance

USC Kaufman School of Dance
Name	USC Kaufman School of Dance
Established	2012
Type	Private
Parent	University of Southern California
Location	Los Angeles, California
Campus	University of Southern California campus
Dean	[Name redacted]

USC Kaufman School of Dance is a professional conservatory and academic unit within the University of Southern California located in Los Angeles, California. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration with programs across USC School of Dramatic Arts, USC Thornton School of Music, and USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Its curriculum and performances engage with regional institutions such as Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Batsheva Dance Company, and Paul Taylor Dance Company.

History

Founded amid a wave of arts expansion in the early 21st century, the school was established within University of Southern California frameworks alongside initiatives linked to donors and partners from Kaufman Foundation and civic arts leaders from Los Angeles World Airports cultural programs. Its emergence intersected with programs at Julliard School, California Institute of the Arts, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Yale School of Drama, and conservatories like Royal Ballet School and Paris Opera Ballet School. Early collaborations included residencies with choreographers from Martha Graham Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Trust, and Trisha Brown Dance Company, while guest artists from Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet contributed to its formation. The school developed partnerships with civic institutions such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Getty Center, and The Music Center (Los Angeles).

Academic Programs

The curriculum spans Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees with courses in technique, choreography, pedagogy, and research, drawing pedagogical models from Royal Academy of Dance, Laban Centre, and the conservatory structures at Juilliard. Interdisciplinary offerings connect students to certificate programs at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, USC Thornton School of Music, and elective exchanges with USC Viterbi School of Engineering and USC Marshall School of Business. The academic program emphasizes composition informed by scholarship in journals associated with Smithsonian Institution, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and research centers like National Endowment for the Arts. Students undertake practicums at partner organizations including Los Angeles Ballet, California Ballet, and cultural venues such as High Museum of Art, Getty Research Institute, and The Broad.

Faculty and Leadership

Faculty include choreographers, scholars, and practitioners with professional ties to Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and contemporary collaborators from Pina Bausch Tanztheater, William Forsythe, and Akram Khan Company. Leadership has engaged advisors from artistic directors of Los Angeles Dance Project, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and administrators with experience at New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet. Visiting faculty and guest artists have included figures affiliated with Twyla Tharp, Jerome Robbins, Lucinda Childs, and institutions like The Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Facilities and Performance Venues

Campus facilities link to the performance ecology of Los Angeles, using venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT), and stages at The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. On-campus studios connect to technical resources modeled after spaces at New York University, Harvard University, and Stanford University arts centers, and include rehearsal spaces used previously by companies like Ballet Hispánico and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. The school presents mainstage seasons at partnering sites including The Broad Stage, Skirball Cultural Center, and community spaces run by LA County Arts Commission.

Student Life and Organizations

Student life features ensembles, choreography collectives, and production crews collaborating with campus organizations such as USC Student Government, USC Annenberg Student Publications, and cross-campus groups from USC School of Dramatic Arts and Thornton School of Music. Student organizations host workshops with guest artists associated with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, ABBAtogether, and community partners like Greenway Arts Alliance and LAUSD Arts Education. Students engage in festivals and competitions including American College Dance Festival Association, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Vail Dance Festival, and showcase events at Jacob's Pillow and Brooklyn Academy of Music affiliated programs.

Notable Alumni and Contributions

Graduates have gone on to perform, choreograph, and teach with companies and institutions including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Batsheva Dance Company, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and contemporary ensembles like Ailey II and Bandaloop. Alumni have created works presented at Jacob's Pillow, TED, Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and film collaborations with Miramax, Warner Bros., and streaming partners such as Netflix and Hulu. Faculty and alumni contributions include scholarship for journals connected to Smithsonian Institution, grants from National Endowment for the Arts, fellowships from Guggenheim Foundation, and awards like Bessie Awards and Princess Grace Awards.

Community Engagement and Outreach

Outreach programs partner with public and nonprofit organizations such as Los Angeles Unified School District, LA County Department of Arts and Culture, California Arts Council, and community theaters like Echo Theater Company and Skid Row Arts Alliance. The school collaborates on initiatives with Getty Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and civic partners including City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs to provide residencies, workshops, and teacher-training connected to institutions like Public Theater, Carnegie Hall, and Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles. Community projects have included site-specific work with LA Metro, health partnerships with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and civic arts programming aligned with festivals such as LA Philharmonic's Green Umbrella and L.A. Dance Project events.

Category:University of Southern California schools and colleges