Garth Fagan

Gawain Garth Fagan (born 3 May 1940) is a Jamaican choreographer of modern dance. He is the founder and artistic director of Garth Fagan Dance, a modern dance company based in Rochester, New York.

Biography

Early years Fagan was born in Kingston, Jamaica to Oxford educated S.W. Fagan, former Chief Education Officer of Jamaica, and Louise I. Walker. It was a gymnastics class that initially drew his attention to dance early on. While attending Excelsior High school, he studied with Ivy Baxter at the Jamaica National Dance Company and performed at the inauguration of Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1959. Fagan was educated at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with sights on becoming a psychologist.

Career Fagan worked at several dance companies in Detroit, and moved to Rochester New York in 1970, and there established his dance company originally named the "Bottom of the Bucket BUT ... Dance Theatre" in 1970. He was a Professor, at State University of New York at Brockport starting in 1970. Fagan choreographed for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Limón Dance Company in the 1970s. He has studied the works of Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Pearl Primus, Alvin Ailey, José Limón, and Katherine Dunham. He is also influenced by Caribbean and West African dances. He was made Commander in the Order of Distinction of Jamaica in August 2001, and was presented the Prime Minister's Award by Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson .

In 2005 he received the Artist of the Year Award from the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester.

In 2012, Fagan was named one of America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures by the Dance Heritage Coalition.

In 2021, Fagan was awarded the Eastman Luminary Award from the Eastman School of Music for his achievements in modern Dance

Awards 1998 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – The Lion King 1998 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Choreography – The Lion King 1998 Tony Award for Best Choreography – The Lion King 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer – The Lion King 2001 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award – Lifetime Achievement 2021 Eastman Luminary Award - Lifetime Achievement