Glorya Kaufman’s generosity resulted in a transformational gift to establish the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in 2012.
“Ms. Kaufman adds the beauty of dance to USC’s expressive range,” said Elizabeth Garrett, USC Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Ms. Kaufman’s name is synonymous throughout the world of dance. Joining the Glorya Kaufman name to a new USC School of Dance greatly enhances USC’s unique signature as the nation’s premier research university with a deep commitment to the arts in all their manifestations. We could not be more proud to begin this historic journey with arts philanthropist, and now Trojan Family member, Glorya Kaufman.”
Spanning all genres of the art form from classical ballet to contemporary to international styles, the school will provide unparalleled opportunities for its students to experience other cultures through artistic expression. The school will recruit world-renowned faculty and offer student scholarships for aspiring dancers, all housed in the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center.
“Glorya Kaufman’s generosity will have a profound impact on the art of dance- not only at USC but throughout the world,” said USC President Max Nikias. “The university’s ambition is to make the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance the most elite on the West Coast and in the Pacific Rim.”
USC Kaufman will join five arts schools which comprise one of the strongest art offerings in the United States. USC offers students a strategic location in Los Angeles, the creative capital of the Pacific Rim. By creating the school, Kaufman said she hopes to transform the lives of generations of students as well as the future of dance in LA and around the world.
“I want the school to prepare dancers to be extraordinary performers, to take care of themselves physically and also to have the knowledge to advocate for themselves from a business perspective. USC provides an exceptional education across the board and we will make sure this happens” Kaufman said.
Construction of the new building is scheduled to begin in 2014, and the school plans to admit its first class of dance majors in fall 2015. Applicants will be accepted into the school based on a rigorous audition process as well as demonstrated academic excellence. These students will earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, and also have the opportunity to double major or minor in other disciplines across the university.
For Glorya Kaufman, it is important to invest in the future through dance education. With this generous endowment, she ensures that students will have the best education available to them for many years to come.
“It was a big decision. Every dance company in the United States has something to offer, and that’s wonderful. But companies can change; education is a permanent thing.”
For more information about the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, please click here.
