Glorya Kaufman, founder of USC dance school, dies at 95
Kaufman, a USC Life Trustee, helped found the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and was a benefactor of multiple art institutes across Southern California.
By ZACHARY WHALEN
Glorya Kaufman, philanthropist and founder of the Kaufman School of Dance, died Tuesday, the University reported. She was 95 years old.
The Kaufman school, one of the University’s newest schools, celebrated its ten-year anniversary in May. Kaufman never disclosed the amount of her gift to the school, wanting people to focus on the opportunities the school presented to students rather than the amount of money she provided. She helped create the Kaufman International Dance Center, a building for dance students at University Park Campus, in 2016.
“Glorya was a visionary in every way, particularly in recognizing the profound impact that dance brings to people’s lives daily,” said Julia Ritter, dean of the Kaufman school, in a USC Today article. “Her legacy will continue through every USC Kaufman graduate who carries her ideals forward on stages around the world.”
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In 2008, she founded the Glorya Kaufman Foundation, which supports community dance and arts programs. Kaufman also donated to the Los Angeles Music Center and helped fund the renovation of UCLA’s dance building, which was named Glorya Kaufman Hall. Kaufman helped found the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art in 1979.
USC’s Board of Trustees elected Kaufman to be a member in 2012. Interim President Beong-Soo Kim told USC Today he had spoken with her “just last week” at a board meeting.
“Glorya’s love for dance was contagious, and she spread that love by creating opportunities for people everywhere to experience the transformative impact and joy of the arts,” Kim said. “Her legacy will continue to touch generations of USC Kaufman students for decades to come.”
In a 2013 interview with The New York Times, Kaufman said a driving force behind her decision to found the Kaufman school was a desire to bring the happiness dance brought her to other people.
“I thought, [dance] is something that brings joy, and I don’t think we have enough of it. I wanted to make a change. I wanted to make kids and people happy, because I was happy,” Kaufman said.
In The New York Times’ interview, Kaufman said she hoped the school could hire the best instructors to teach “the best students in the world.” She said her goal was to transform L.A. into a landmark destination for dance.
“[The Kaufman school’s impact is] not just going to be Los Angeles. It’s going to be international. These dancers will be known all over the world. And L.A. will now have the reputation of being a little more cultural,” she said.
Kaufman is survived by four children, along with 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
