USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance

USC Kaufaman Class of 2024 in A Momentum of Memory by Doug Varone photo by Rose Eichenbaum 2.jpeg

USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
Los Angeles, CAFounded in 2012 by a transformational gift from visionary founder Glorya Kaufman, the University of Southern California created its sixth art school and, at that time, its first new school in nearly 40 years. The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance expands upon USC’s unique signature as a world-class research institution with a deep commitment to the arts. With its enterprising vision for arts education, USC Kaufman is at the forefront of developing dancers, choreographers and dance leaders for the future.

The exciting opportunity to create a new school brought the chance to rethink the professional degree for the 21st century and the role of a dance school within the greater national ecology. To fulfill this monumental intention, USC Kaufman envisioned a new model of dance education, called “The New Movement” – a hybrid and collaborative approach expressed in studio practice, music, choreography, performance, new media and scholarship, where artistic preeminence is combined with thoughtful industry access.

By encouraging interdisciplinary and collaborative work, USC Kaufman seeks to transform dance. It embraces the artistic rigor of conservatory dance instruction with unparalleled academic opportunity offered by one of the world’s leading universities to shape the next generation of dance leaders who are connected to the world-at-large.

The program encourages students to think across boundaries and take advantage of the diverse cultures both on campus and within the Los Angeles arts community. Students approach the study of dance with a global perspective, reinforced through collaboration with national and international artists.

In addition to bringing together a stellar list of faculty and Artists in Residence, the program features the repertory of several iconic and innovative choreographers including Founding Director Jodie Gates, as well as George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Dwight Rhoden, Sonya Tayeh and Rauf “RubberLegz” Yasit, among other significant dance-makers.

Graduates of the BFA program have gone on to secure contracts with Broadway productions and dance companies including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Ballet BC, BalletMet, Ballet Hispánico, BODYTRAFFIC, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Oregon Ballet Theatre and RUBBERBAND, among others. They have also gone on to pursue careers in choreography, arts administration, marketing and business.

Patrick Corbin

Patrick Corbin was born and raised in Maryland, where he began his dance training at a very young age at the Washington School of Ballet and was an apprentice with the Washington Ballet dancing in works by Choo San Goh. In 1983, he moved to NYC to study at the School of American Ballet and in 1984 joined ABT II. In 1985, he joined the Joffrey Ballet where he was introduced to the choreography of Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Mark Morris, Frederick Ashton, Laura Dean, Leonide Massine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Pilobolus, and the great Paul Taylor. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1989, and in 15 years became one of the company’s most celebrated artists. He is featured in five PBS Great Performances and in the Academy Award nominated documentary Dancemaker. In 2001, Mr. Corbin was the recipient of the NY Performance Award (“Bessie”) for Sustained Achievement with The Paul Taylor Dance Company. March 2005 marked his retirement from the Taylor company. He has since danced with Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in “Men’s Stories” and he was one of the 43 dancers featured in David Michaelek’s film instillation, “Slow Dancing” shown at the Lincoln Center Festival and the Music Center of Los Angeles .Mr. Corbin founded CorbinDances in September 2005, with its inaugural season in Spring 2006, embracing modern, contemporary, and ballet disciplines. He stages his own works and those of Paul Taylor on companies throughout the world and teaches at the Taylor School.