Jodie Gates is Director and Vice Dean of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California. Under her direction, the dance school hosts a revolutionary new dance program, opening its doors to the first BFA freshman class in Fall 2015. Her professional performing career includes; former principal ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet and principal guest artist touring and performing throughout North and South America, Mexico, Russia, Asia, Australia and Europe. As an internationally recognized choreographer she has created over 50 original dance works. Receiving critical acclaim, her work has been called “visually compelling, powerful, beautiful,” by the Philadelphia Inquirer and “richly textured and profound,” by the Orange County Register. She has recently created works for Ballet West, Cincinnati Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin in Germany, Colorado Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Washington Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet among others. She is also responsible for teaching, staging and producing William Forsythe’s ballets, including productions at Paris Opera Ballet, Scottish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Prague National Theater, Zurich Opera Ballet, Teatro La Scala, Houston Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. Her honors include recognition from the American Association of University Women for her leadership, dedication and contribution to the arts. She has been acknowledged by American Ballet Theater for her choreographic excellence named the Altria/ABT Fellow, Artist of the Year from the city of Laguna Beach, and is a recipient of the esteemed Jerome Robbins ‘New Essential Works’ program. Jodie is also the founding director of the award winning Laguna Dance Festival in Southern California. .