Glorya Kaufman, the philanthropist who transformed dance in Los Angeles through the establishment of an eponymous dance school at USC as well as a prominent dance series at the Music Center, among many other initiatives, has died. She was 95.
Kaufman’s death was confirmed by a representative for the Music Center, which was the recipient in 2009 of a $20 million gift from Kaufman that established Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center. The money, which represented the largest donation in L.A.’s dance history, went toward the ongoing staging of appearances by some of the world’s most well-known dancers, troupes and companies, including the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ballet Hispánico.
“Her gift to the Music Center has made it possible for us to bring the joy and beauty of dance into the hearts, minds and souls of countless Angelenos and visitors from around the world,” Music Center President and Chief Executive Rachel Moore said in a statement. “As a result of Glorya’s significant visionary leadership and generosity, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center today stands as a vital part of Los Angeles’ cultural fabric.”
Kaufman also donated an undisclosed sum to create and endow the USC Kaufman School of Dance, and to build its home, the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. When it launched in 2012, the program was the first new school to be established at the university in 40 years. It opened in 2015 with 33 students and has nurtured the talents of dancers who went on to work with internationally recognized companies and artists including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin and Ballet Jazz Montreal.
In a tribute published by USC staff on the university’s website, USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim said, “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.”
“We have so much [dance] talent here in L.A.,” Kaufman told The Times in 2012 when the gift to USC was first announced, “and there’s no place for them to go. We want to get the best students, the best teachers, and the kids, when they graduate, will be able to make a living right away.”
Later that year, The Times described Kaufman’s importance to the dance world:
“The new biggest name in dance is Glorya Kaufman, who shook up the arts world last month when she gave the University of Southern California a gift that despite its undisclosed amount, has been called one of the largest donations in dance history.”
USC was not the first L.A.-area institution of higher learning to benefit from Kaufman’s largess. In 1999 she gave $18 million to fund the restoration of the UCLA Women’s Gym — now called Glorya Kaufman Hall. The Times wrote that her donation was, “the largest individual gift the university has received outside of the health sciences area, and the largest arts donation ever in the University of California system.”
Kaufman also gave money to schools in New York City, including four lifetime endowments for undergraduates at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A 2,300-square-foot dance studio at the Juilliard School, which she funded, is also named after her.
Although dance was her primary focus, Kaufman’s influence was felt across L.A.’s cultural landscape. She was a founding member of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and also gave to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In addition, she was a founding trustee of the Geffen Playhouse and donated money to build an outdoor reception area at the theater.
Kaufman believed that dance should be experienced by as many people as possible and was committed to helping less advantaged students gain access to programs in their communities. She created an endowment for a dedicated dance teacher at Inner-City Arts in East L.A. and provided funds for more than 17,000 kids to take free dance classes there each year.
The Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center — a 299-seat, multi-use performing arts space, including classrooms, rehearsal rooms and a theater — opened two years ago at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, a nonprofit that provides mental health services for neurodivergent children and those experiencing behavioral disorders. Kaufman’s gift came with the launch of three new community-focused programs: a USC Alumni Residency, an L.A. Independent Choreographer Residency and UniverSoul Hip Hop Outreach.
The Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar was founded with the announcement of three new programs: a choreography residency, a USC alumni residency and a partnership with UniverSOUL Hip Hop.
(Nic Lehoux)
Glorya Kaufman was born in Detroit to Samuel and Eva Pinkis. Her father was the production manager of Automotive News and her mother was a homemaker who held leadership roles at various charities within the Jewish community. In interviews throughout her life, Kaufman recalled early memories of dancing while standing on her father’s toes. She also loved to go to Detroit’s many jazz clubs, which informed her lifelong love of music and dance.
Kaufman was diagnosed with strabismus as a child. The condition — which causes one eye to look in a different direction than the other — and her early experiences trying to correct the issue, along with her struggles with poor vision, contributed to her interest in helping those with disabilities.
In 1954 Kaufman married Donald Bruce Kaufman, a builder and entrepreneur who in 1957 partnered with businessman and prominent philanthropist Eli Broad to co-found a homebuilding company called Kaufman & Broad (now KB Home). In 1963 the Kaufman family moved to Huntington Harbour after the company expanded to California. Three years later, they again moved to Beverly Hills. In 1969 the Kaufmans relocated to a 48-acre Brentwood ranch they called Amber Hill.
In 1983, Donald died in a plane crash with the couple’s son-in-law, Eyal Horwitz, while piloting an experimental biplane. To deal with her loss, Glorya threw herself into philanthropy. She created the Glorya Kaufman Foundation and dedicated its first major project — the 10,000-square-foot Donald Bruce Kaufman Brentwood Branch Library — to her late husband, a prolific reader.
Kaufman is survived by her four children, Curtis, Gayl, Laura and Stacie Lyn; 10 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
