By Dwight Casimere
Garth Fagan is a legendary figure in the world of American Dance. The master choreographer, who created the Fagan Technique, is best known for his work with the Tony Award-winning The Lion King, which continues its success on Broadway and is currently in a Broadway in Chicago production at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through January 14.
More than 100 million people have experienced Fagan’s artistry in The Lion King around the world. The famed choreographer celebrated his 82nd birthday, as well as the 52nd anniversary of his company, Garth Fagan Dance in a weeklong presentation of vintage works and World Premiere’s at New York’s Joyce Theatre.
Garth Fagan’s reach in the world of dance is all encompassing. It is only amplified by its presence in The Lion King. As he put it, “in Japan, they experienced The Lion King in Japanese, in France, they experienced it in the French language, and in Great Britain, and they saw it performed in ‘high English,’ but everyone across the globe experienced it as ‘Fagan Dance.’
Also featuring works by his Rehearsal Director, the award-winning Norwood Pennewell and the iconic Fagan himself, this Rochester-based ensemble’s homecoming celebration at The Joyce, was a magical experience.
Sadly, the pandemic prevented Garth Fagan from celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary at The Joyce, so it was with much anticipation that the company returned to the venue to celebrate its 52nd Anniversary.
Fagan Technique is deeply rooted in the Afro-Caribbean influences that are reflective of his Jamaican heritage. Anyone expecting a typical modern dance mish-mosh of contemporary references with an occasional nod to the classical conventions of colonialism is in for a severe letdown. Fagan’s aesthetic is grounded in the realities of culture and existentialism. His philosophy is that the body should move in ways that are intended. Balancing on pointed toe a la traditional ballet is not a goal for his dancers. In its place, feet flex in inverted or exerted movement, called sickle shape, which is a natural movement for the foot. This, in the Fagan method, is how people originally moved and is how motion is recorded in African history. Similarly, arms move naturally and become a focal point of movement, as does any other part of the body.
In the dance presentation Contact Fours, a new work choreographed by Pennewell, John Crim is a singular marvel to behold. His performance is the very definition of the term ‘equipoise.’ He has the ability to balance and extend his legs and feet at angles that defy the logic of gravity and geometry. He is a wonder to behold.
The ensemble of Daventhe Gilreath, Gabrielle Samuel and Sabrina Cmelak with Music by Marc Cary, DJ-9 and Masters of Groove, brings the company firmly into the present age. At the second night performance, it brought the audience to a whooping holler response, which was well deserved.
Choreographer and Rehearsal Director Pennewell’s genius is one that is only developed with experience. He will be 65 in the coming year. Judging from his newest work presented at The Joyce, audiences have just begun to see what he is capable of.
Nowhere was the Fagan Technique more centrally focused than in the opening dance of the first two night’s programs presented at The Joyce. Prelude (1981/1983) featured the full company, with its rehearsal director Norwood Pennewell and its oldest member, Principal Dancer Steve Humphrey, celebrating his 70th birthday. Humphrey has been with the company since its inception.
Musical accompaniment was from Abdullah Ibrahim, whom you know as Dollar Brand (look up the backstory to that nickname, its really humorous), and the vintage Charlie Parker, Diz and Miles drummer and composer Max Roach. This celebration of all things Fagan was followed by his riveting Four Women (1973), an excerpt from Fagan’s Liberation Suite and dedicated to the revolutionary activist Angela Davis. Set to the song of the same name by Nina Simone, it featured company Principal Dancer Natalie Rogers. Her performance was a virtual primer on the Fagan Technique.
Four women actualized in movement the poignant historical travelogue of Nina’s words, charting the journey of black women through history, from slavery to the slums of today.
Dancer Roger’s head, back and shoulders moved in angular, propulsive movements. Her arms at times seemed an entity unto themselves, alternately framing her body, and then abruptly spinning at super-human speed. The effect was mesmerizing.
Her energetic performance was even more notable due to the fact that Rogers is still dancing at age 60. She is triple threat, acting as Garth Fagan Dance School Director and Assistant Rehearsal Director.
Her backstory is also unique. She left the company for eight years, which considered a lifetime in dance, to raise her daughter. In a post-performance Q. and A. she reflected on the experience. “It was as if I had never left. Yes, I did some preparation. I lost weight and trained in anticipation of the demands that would be placed on my body. I’m grateful for my experience with Garth Technique because my experience shows how it prepares you for life. You’re prepared to push beyond your limits to that extra step, that extra movement. Garth Technique creates an environment of trust between dancers, where their hard work is nourished and they’re allowed to blossom.
The daily discipline is rigorous, but rewarding. “Each dancer is required to attend two, two-hour classes a day,” Rogers explained. “It not only creates an atmosphere of discipline, but it also gives each dancer a foundation from which they can move forward.”
Music is an integral part of every performance. Fagan diligently selects each of the compositions that accompany his works. Surprisingly, a particularly beloved composer is classical music icon Johannes Brahms. His orchestral sonata is featured in Fagan’s Sonata and the Afternoon (1983). “Music is very important to me. It is my master. My mentor, my muse!” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “ I often think of music that is important to me and build around it.”
In the post-performance Q. and A. Fagan, along with company Executive Director William J. Ferguson, Rehearsal Director and choreographer Norwood Pennell and School Director Natalie Rogers-Cropper, talked about the company’s storied legacy and its vibrant future.
“Discipline IS Freedom,” Fagan loudly declared to the audience of eager admirers.
He credits his upbringing in a strict Jamaican household to his success. “I had a really tough Daddy. When I brought the company to Jamaica, my father came to see the show. Everyone kept saying how nice he was. My siblings and I said ‘who are you talking about?’ All kidding aside, I always say that a tough father is the best gift that God can give to you, because he taught me the importance of discipline.”
Garth Fagan is true to his principles. He believes in the enduring nature of Black dance. “Understand that Black dance, if not African dance, has been here for hundreds of thousands of years before Europe even suggested the minuet. “
As a journalist, I would be remiss if I did not mention each of the names of the members of this superb company. They all deserve recognition for their individual and collective efforts:
PRINCIPAL DANCERS
NORWOOD PENNEWELL • NATALIE ROGERS-CROPPER • STEVE HUMPHREY GABRIELLE SAMUEL • SABRINA CMELAK
DANCERS
JOHN CRIM • DARIA CLARKE • DESTINY FELDER • ETHAN BECKWITH-COHEN IRA LINDSAY • NATHAN E. MCNATT, JR. • KIARA J. HAYWOOD
Guest performers at The Joyce included Davente Gilreath, Keisha Laren Clarke Gray and Wynton Rice. Along with Lighting Designer Lutin Tanner and Wardrobe Supervisor Chantal Thomas, they all deserve mention for their dedicated effort toward making the engagement at The Joyce a landmark experience.
Garth Fagan Dance is back at its headquarters in Rochester for the Holidays. They are currently mounting a series of performances for their winter season and are planning additional programs for the spring. Visit garthfagandance.org. For more information on the school and performances.