Garth Fagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Garth Fagan
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| Born |
Gawain Garth Fagan
3 May 1940 |
| Occupation | Theatre director, dancer, choreographer |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Awards |
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Garth Fagan is a famous dancer and choreographer from Jamaica. He was born on May 3, 1940. He is best known for creating the amazing dances for the Broadway show The Lion King. Garth Fagan also started his own dance company called Garth Fagan Dance, which is based in Rochester, New York.
Contents
About Garth Fagan
Early Life and Education
Garth Fagan was born in Kingston, Jamaica. His father, S.W. Fagan, was a top education officer in Jamaica. His mother was Louise I. Walker.
When he was young, a gymnastics class first made him interested in dance. While he was at Excelsior High school, he learned dance from Ivy Baxter at the Jamaica National Dance Company. He even performed for the Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1959.
Fagan later went to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there. At first, he thought about becoming a psychologist.
His Dance Career
After college, Fagan worked with several dance companies in Detroit. In 1970, he moved to Rochester, New York. There, he started his own dance company. It was first called the "Bottom of the Bucket BUT ... Dance Theatre."
Starting in 1970, he also became a Professor at the State University of New York in Brockport. During the 1970s, Fagan created dances for other famous groups. These included the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Limón Dance Company.
He studied the work of many important dancers and choreographers. Some of these were Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Pearl Primus, Alvin Ailey, José Limón, and Katherine Dunham. He was also inspired by dances from the Caribbean and West Africa.
Fagan's Unique Dance Style
Garth Fagan's dance style is very special. It mixes parts of modern dance, ballet, and Afro-Caribbean dance. He also includes movements from social dances.
Many of his dance pieces tell stories about his own life. They often explore themes that are important to him. For example, his 1977 work, which had no title, showed the end of his marriage. It showed a couple starting with love but slowly growing apart.
Griot New York premiered in 1991. This piece was about the lives of people in New York City who faced challenges. In this work, Fagan combined smooth ballet moves with sharp, quick movements. This showed the many different sides of big cities and even conflicts in his own life.
In 1992, he choreographed Moth Dreams. This dance celebrated his childhood, his teenage years, and his relationship with his mother.
Personal Life
Garth Fagan lives in Rochester, New York. He is divorced and has two children.
Famous Stage Productions
Garth Fagan has created many dances for the stage. Here are some of his well-known works:
- From Before (1978)
- Oatka Trail (1979)
- Prelude (1981, revised 1983)
- Touring Jubilee 1924 (Professional) (1982)
- Sonata and the Afternoon (1983)
- Never Top 40 (Jukebox) (1985)
- Passion Distanced (1987)
- Time After Before Place (1988)
- Until By & If (1990)
- Griot New York (1991)
- Moth Dreams (1992)
- Draft of Shadows (1993)
- Prelude (1993)
- Postcards: Pressures and Possibilities (1994)
- Earth Eagle First Circle (1995)
- Mix 25 (1996)
- Nkanyit (1997)
- The Lion King (1997)
- Two Pieces of One: Green (1998)
- Woza (1999)
- Trips and Trysts (2000)
- Music of the Line/Words in the Shape (2001)
- Translation Transition (2002)
- DANCECOLLAGEFORROMIE (2003)
- ----ING (2004)
- Life: Dark/Light (2005)
- Senku (2006)
- Edge/Joy (2007)
- Phone Tag Thanks and Things (2009)
- The North Star (2018)
- CoVid Virtue Victory (2022)
Awards and Recognition
Garth Fagan has received many honors and awards for his work. He is a Distinguished University Professor at the State University of New York at Brockport. He earned his first degree from Wayne State University. He also has honorary doctorates from several schools. These include the University of Rochester, Juilliard School, Hobart College, William Smith College, and Nazareth College.
In 1998, Fagan received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He also got a three-year Choreography Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. In August 2001, he was made a Commander in the Order of Distinction of Jamaica. He also received the Prime Minister's Award from Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson.
In 2005, he was named Artist of the Year by the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester. In 2012, the Dance Heritage Coalition called him one of America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures. In 2021, he received the Eastman Luminary Award from the Eastman School of Music. This award recognized his achievements in modern dance.
Key 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
