55 Plus Garth Fagan

Irondequoit: Region’s Highest Concentration of Seniors FREEJim Terwilliger: Inheriting IRAs Not As Easy As You May Think 55 PLUS Issue 12 November / December 2011 For Active Adults in the Rochester Area JACK MARREN Profi le of Victor’s Mayor Bette Davis Was Right: Growing Old Is Not for Sissies Meet the volunteers of The Chorus of the Genesee and GARTH The Tool Thrift Shop in Fairport Defying FAGAN age with his world-renowned dance technique November / December 2011 - 55 PLUS 1 24 55 PLUS - November / December 2011 55+ cover Garth Fagan A Choreographer of Life For more than 40 years, Rochester choreographer Garth Fagan has wowed audiences, been acclaimed by the critics, and defied age with his world-renowned dance technique By Amy Cavalier have to say what, where and why. ritics have called Garth his techniques aimed at producing You had to have some substance to Fagan “a true original,” “a well-rounded dancers capable of back it up.” genuine leader,” and “one performing well into their adulthood, Fagan’s father felt his pursuit of the greatest reformers of Fagan has been showered with praise, of the art of dance was a frivolity, modern dance.” Founder and artistic nine honorary doctorates and awards preferring his son to pursue a career Cdirector of the award-winning and aplenty. But one of the most satisfying in the medical field or science or math. internationally acclaimed Garth Fagan moments in Garth’s career came in That didn’t stop the young Fagan Dance, Fagan is practically a household pleasing his first and most important from following his own dreams. name as a result of his choreography critic — his father. Starting at the age of 16, Fagan in Walt Disney’s Broadway musical “I really loved him and cared for danced his way from Ivy Baxter’s ““The Lion King”.” his counsel so much,” says Fagan. Jamaican National Dance Company, The 71-year-old admits he was “As hard as he was, he made the man to Wayne State University in attracted to dance at the age of 16 for I am.” Detroit, becoming principal soloist shallow reasons — the flashy clothes, and choreographer of the Detroit nice cars, and high society. He stayed Contemporary Dance Company and with it because he fell in love with it. Act I - His Biggest the Dance Theater of Detroit. In the And he changed the world of dance 1960s, Fagan had plunged himself with his vision. Critic into the New York City Dance scene, In the past 40 years, Fagan’s dance Fagan was born in Kingston, and by 1970, he’d landed a teaching troupe has performed on all continents Jamaica, in May 1940. He grew up in a position at SUNY Brockport and except Antarctica, touring throughout large, nurturing family of 13 aunts and founded his own dance company in the United States, Europe, Africa, uncles. He describes his father S.W. Rochester called Bottom of the Bucket Asia, the Near and Middle East, North Fagan Webster as an Oxford educated But…Dance Theater. and South America, New Zealand, man and a Virgo. Webster was a strict In 1973, he decided to take the Australia and the West Indies. Methodist and chief education officer dance troupe to Jamaica. “We’ve been to all those places for Jamaica; Fagan, a Taurus with a “I wanted them to really see representing Rochester,” Fagan says rebellious streak. Jamaican society, how positive it was, with a smile. “We sell out before we “He kept me under surveillance… especially upper class and upper get there, so that’s been a big blessing heavy manners, that’s what they say middle class Jamaican society, to give to me.” in Jamaica for disciplining a child,” them some nourishment as to all that Fagan’s work has been seen by Fagan reminisces, “but he also taught they could become,” Fagan says. millions and reviewed by handfuls me something about hard work, “We had no money in the company. I of dance critics and fine arts writers. quality and criteria. He loved criteria. charged a lot of it on my dad’s charge For his ability to express cultural If you liked something, you’d have card.” statements through movement to to say compared to what, and you’d Fagan reserved a box seat for November / December 2011 - 55 PLUS 25 55+ cover eight people for his father, all the thought,” he says. “Is this a worthwhile “It took me on tours, and all the while warning the dancers that he endeavor?” people in her dance company were may not show up. Fagan’s father did the best dressed, fastest and most come, along with a full box of friends sophisticated people in Kingston and family. Fagan recalls his father’s Act II – Bright Lights because they traveled around the words of praise, ‘what a wonderful world, had sports cars and wore show. If you had told me it had and Fast Cars the newest clothes,” he recalls. cultural significance and intellectual “I’m ashamed to say all my reasons content, I never would have fought Fagan was big into social dancing for pursuing this were shallow, you as hard.’ as a teenager, winning prizes for the shallow.” Two weeks later, Fagan’s father mambo and the cha cha. While attending Wayne State flew him back to Jamaica, where they “That’s what everybody did, not University, Fagan met Pat Welling, a sat on a veranda and talked about the as a career or art, but for fun,” he says. dance teacher that really “nourished” show. Fagan got up the courage to tell “I was good at it and that was it.” him. She helped him with his first his father about the money he had Then he was introduced to the solo, “Contemplations,” which he charged on his credit card, and told Ivy Baxter’s Jamaican National danced in complete silence. him they could arrange a payment Dance Company. Baxter was teaching “That was really bold for the early schedule. His father says ‘you don’t gymnastics in his school and she 1960s,” he recalls. “At that point, I was owe me a dime. I’m so impressed with convinced Fagan to come to her studio really beginning to taste it — dancing you that you don’t owe me a dime.’ and take classes. could be a career. I got great reviews, About one year later, his father “I don’t have any idea what she the audience went wild. Now that suffered a stroke. Fagan says he’s saw,” Fagan says. I look back on it, it was so vulgar, thankful he brought the dance The transition from party dancing showing off tricky things you could company to Jamaica when he did. to concert dancing was easy, but do to engage the audience.” “I would have always been Fagan says, he didn’t value the art Following college, Fagan became a wondering what dad would have right away. Instead he saw the flashy member of the Detroit Contemporary lifestyle and a place he could learn. Dance Company and the Dance Theater of Detroit, serving as principal soloist and choreographer for both groups. He made his way to New York City and studied with the likes of the Martha Graham Company, and his friend and mentor Alvin Ailey. All the while, Fagan had his dreams set on forming his own dance company, one consisting of dancers who didn’t have any previous training or “people dancing, as opposed to dancers portraying people,” as he describes it. “I always look for what’s not been done,” he says. “I didn’t want to repeat what other people had done. I wanted my own voice, my own technique, my own way of moving.” Act III – Finding His Place Before SUNY Brockport made him an offer to teach a dance class in the summer of 1970, Fagan had never even heard of Rochester before. Fagan receives the Musgrave Medal from Former Jamaican Prime Minister “It was just an exit on the freeway P.J. Patterson in 1998 for his Contribution to the World of Dance and Dance as far as I was concerned,” Fagan Theater. says. 26 55 PLUS - November / December 2011 55+ cover Fagan figured he’d teach in Rochester for a few years and then head back to New York City, the dance capital of the world. He taught at Brockport for the summer and was asked to return again in the fall. In the meantime, Fagan started his dance company Bottom of the Bucket, But…Dance Theater. “That was because I didn’t have trained dancers, and because we were the bottom of the bucket now, but watch what we were going to do,” he says. The company of about 16 dancers was based at the Education Opportunity Center on Andrews Street. In addition to performing, the company offered public classes, which were well subscribed to. But Fagan had much larger dreams. “I wanted to create a company where my dancers were salaried, so they’d get paid for what they do,” he says. “In my day, it was four to fi ve dancers to one hotel room. I didn’t want to subject my dancers to that because they’re professionals that The dance company in a 1993 photo. Photo courtesy of Steve Labuzetta work hard on their bodies keeping them in shape.” Within two or three years, Bottom seeing a performance in Houston, more consistent and you will rise to of the Bucket, But… was performing Texas. She was just coming off of the highest level,” she says.

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