Garth Fagan, Founder and Artistic Director, has been called "a true original," "a genuine leader," and "one of the great reformers of American dance." As another critic put it, "in the genealogy of modern dance, he's started a whole new branch of the family tree."
His singular dance language draws on many sources: the sense of weight in modern dance, the torso-centered movement and energy of Afro-Caribbean, the speed and precision of ballet, and the rule breaking experimentation of the post-moderns.
Fagan's creation of the internationally acclaimed Garth Fagan Dance, the company that fulfills his vision, has been recognized by a host of awards and honors.
For his path-breaking choreography for The Lion King, Fagan was awarded the prestigious 1998 Tony Award for Best Choreography. He also received the 1998 Drama Desk Award, 1998 Outer Critics Circle Award. 1998 Astaire Award, 2000 Laurence Olivier Award, 2001 Ovation Award, and the 2004 Helpmann Award for his work on the Broadway musical, which opened in fall 1997 to extraordinary critical praise.
