About Dance at USC

The USC Dance Company, more than 72 members strong, performs six major concerts per year at The Koger Center for the Arts, as well as guest performances throughout the east coast. Company members are auditioned twice a year and are selected for technical merit as well as artistic achievement. The USC Dance Company is recognized both nationally and internationally as a pre-professional dance ensemble as finely tuned as a symphony orchestra. The company members have performed in Spain and The International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, as well as the National Gala for the American College Dance Festival hosted by the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Alumni are currently dancing professionally, working as dance professors and administrators in universities and other educational and professional organizations.

Since its inception in 1977, the USC Dance Company has grown from the vision of its founder, Professor Susan E. Anderson, to become the multi-faceted company it is today. Throughout the USC Dance Company’s history, Professor Anderson has been the lead choreographer in the creation of full-length ballets such as The Taming of the Shrew, Star Crossed Lovers, Ondine, Planet Dance, Sylvia, Scheherazade, Phantom of the Opera and Peter Pan, which featured gold medalist Stanislav Issaev.

Stacey Calvert, Associate Artistic Director of the USC Dance Company, danced as soloist for the New York City Ballet in New York for two decades. Her work has received critical acclaim on a national level, especially her staging of George Balanchine's masterpieces for the USC Dance Company. She also created for the USC Board of Dance a gala fundraiser featuring “Ballet Stars of New York,” with principal dancers from the New York City Ballet performing alongside the USC Dance Company. Works in the repertory are Apollo, Who Cares?, Tarantella, Walpurgisnacht , Waltz Fantasy , Allegro Brilliant, Donizetti, La Source, Serenade, Mozartiana , and Western Symphony. In recent years, she was instrumental in securing Alan Hineline’s Twist , which won entry into the nationals for the American College Dance Gala. She has also presented “Ballet Stars of New York” for the Augusta Ballet, and in Charleston with the Symphony Orchestra.

Kyra Strasberg, Distinguished Artist in Residence, is a former Principal dancer from the Boston Ballet. She is known for the artistry and human quality that she brought to the stage. Among her many roles are Odette/Odile, the Lilac fairy, Myrtha, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Medora, Cleopatra, and Fate in Choo San Goh’s Romeo and Juliet. Her Balanchine repertoire includes, Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies, Tzigane, Mozartiana, Serenade, Who Cares?, and Apollo among others. She has worked with Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Bebe Miller, Ben Stevenson, Lila York, and Suzanne Farrell. Her incredibly well-rounded background makes her fantastically suited to teach and coach our students. Through her rich past, Ms. Strasberg continues to bring much energy and excitement to the USC Dance Company. She is responsible for bringing in Lila York’s modern classic, Celts, last season.

Thaddeus Davis and Tanya Wideman-Davis have brought their renowned contemporary dance expertise to the USC Dance family. Their company, Wideman/Davis Dance, performs all over the country, as well as here in Columbia and at the university.

Thaddeus Davis was featured in Dance Magazine’s January 2002 issue as one of “25 To Watch In The World.” The premiere of his first choreographic work, Once Before Twice After, was named one of the top ten moments in dance for 2002 by The New York Times, calling it “reassuring evidence of New York dance’s promising future.” A year later he was the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Choo San Goh Award for Choreography. In 2006, he received First Prize in Ballet Austin’s New American Talent/Dance Choreography Competition. Mr. Davis danced with Donald Byrd/The Group for four years, where he also served as Mr. Byrd’s creative assistant. In addition, he has danced with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Fukuoka City Ballet, Atlanta Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Fugate/Bahiri Ballet NY (Dance Galaxy). As a teacher and choreographer, he has done residencies at The Juilliard School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Butler University, Arizona State University, Ballet Austin Academy, and has served as guest faculty at The Alabama School of Fine Arts.

Tanya Wideman-Davis has been noted by New York Dance Fax as “distinctive for the power of her secure pointe work and her personality.” She has received International acclaim and was given the honor of “Best Female Dancer of 2001-2002” by Dance Europe magazine. Ms. Wideman-Davis has trained with some of the premiere schools in the country, starting with The Academy of Movement and Music, The Ruth Page Dance Foundation, The Joffrey Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Chicago City Ballet, and The Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 1993 she was invited to join The Dance Theatre of Harlem where she danced works by Balanchine, Glen Tetley, Michael Smuin, Geoffrey Holder, John Taras, Billy Wilson, John Alleyne, Alonzo King, Vincent Mantsoe, Jose Limon, Choo San Goh, and Dwight Rhoden. Ms. Wideman-Davis joined The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago in 1999 where she danced many roles in the company’s vast repetoire. Upon returning to Dance Theatre of Harlem she was named Principal Dancer. As Co-Artistic Director of Wideman/Davis Dance, she has assisted in creating new works and setting existing works for Ballet Memphis, Phrenic New Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Fugate/Bahiri Ballet NY (Dance Galaxy), The Juilliard School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Reflexions Dance Company, Alabama School of Fine Arts, and Wideman/Davis Dance.