The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance has named five-time Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown as its next Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Artist in Dance, marking the arrival of one of the country’s most celebrated directors and choreographers to the university.

Brown, the artistic director and founder of Camille A. Brown & Dancers, begins her tenure in fall 2027, continuing through the 2028-2029 academic year. Her appointment follows a national search by the school to secure leading creative figures to mentor and teach undergraduate BFA students.

“Camille is a visionary, if not transcendent, figure in American dance, theater and media,” said Julia M. Ritter, dean of USC Kaufman. “To have her join us as our multiyear visiting artist is an immense honor and an extraordinary opportunity for our students to learn from a singular talent.”

Throughout her career, Brown has continually broken barriers across theater, opera, and film. She made history as the first Black artist to direct on the Metropolitan Opera’s main stage with Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and became the first Black woman to direct and choreograph a Broadway play since Katherine Dunham in 1955 with her revival of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. Her extensive screen work includes choreography for Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Amazon’s Harlem, and NBC’s Emmy-winning Jesus Christ Superstar.

Brown is currently slated to direct and choreograph an upcoming Broadway revival of Dreamgirls, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Wagner Johnson Productions, and Jennifer Hudson.

“Educating the next generation of artists is as important as making work,” Brown said. “I’m very much looking forward to connecting deeply with the Kaufman community and making this a worthwhile experience.”

Established in 2016, the Mann Endowed Fund connects students directly with figures working at the highest levels of the dance world. Brown succeeds former endowed artists William Forsythe and Kyle Abraham, the latter of whom joined the school in 2021.

“Camille has made a strong imprint in both contemporary dance spaces and on Broadway stages alike,” Abraham said. “I know her wisdom will enlighten and inspire future generations of Kaufman students.”