At 16, Eileen Kim faced a life-changing decision: Stay home to finish high school in Chicago or move to Washington D.C. to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer. After spending the summer at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in DC, she was accepted into the year-round program and begged her parents to let […]
The study of tap takes many different forms across college campuses. Some schools have multilevel programs with full-time faculty, while others are known for their student-run groups and showcases. Whether the goal is to pursue tap professionally, become a tap teacher, or simply keep percussive dance part of the college experience, students can find a […]
At age 11, Adam Vesperman was ushered into an impromptu audition for Billy Elliot: The Musical at a West Coast Dance Explosion Nationals. Despite an off-key rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” his strong dancing skills secured him a callback. After a few intense audition days in New York City, Vesperman landed the role on […]
Since finishing in the Top 8 of “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 18, Braylon Browner has continued to carve out a dynamic presence both on and off the stage. Currently a sophomore at University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, he’s balancing teaching opportunities at conventions and studios across the country […]
If you’re a college student, there are some guarantees. The dining hall food will be bad. Your communal shower will be gross. You will sleep through class (at least) once. And at the end of it all, you will walk across a stage and move the tassel on your hat and—finally!—graduate. But not even college […]
You might be surprised to hear that both Seán Curran, chair of the dance department at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and Jodie Gates, the director of the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, still have mentors. After all, they’re both leading educators at two of the country’s most prestigious […]
If you closed your eyes and pictured dance paradise, what would it look like? Maybe you’d start your morning in rehearsal with a renowned contemporary choreographer, and then work on a dance driven by computer programming, and then run to a music video audition, and end the day discussing the impact of African dance styles […]
By now, you guys have probably heard about the new Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California. We’ve been talking about it since last year, and it’s literally got everything going for it: William Forsythe onboard as faculty? Check. A partnership with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago? Check. Teachers at the […]