Garth Fagan Dance returns to Nazareth University Arts Center for its 55th Anniversary Performance Celebration, May 7-10
Garth Fagan Dance returns to Nazareth University for a special 55th Anniversary Performance Celebration, highlighting the company’s extraordinary legacy while embracing an exciting new chapter of artistic leadership and creation. Performances will be held at Nazareth University Arts Center's Callahan Theater on Thursday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 10, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at go.naz.edu/artscenter or at the Nazareth Arts Center Box Office before the show.
The program includes exciting revivals of Garth Fagan’s “Prelude” (1981/1983) and “Never Top 40” (1985), two seminal works that highlight the company’s foundational artistry. Building on this legacy, GFD leadership will also present new creations: Artistic Director Norwood “PJ” Pennewell’s “Priestess Hill” (formerly Days and Nights in Rocinha), which premiered to a standing ovation during our collaboration with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at the Eastman Theatre, and Executive Director Natalie Rogers-Cropper’s world premiere, “Messages To The Storm”. Together, these works reflect the company’s enduring legacy while pointing toward its vibrant future.
Renowned for his groundbreaking choreography for The Lion King on Broadway, Garth Fagan 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 geneology 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 post-moderns. Most recently, Garth Fagan was the proud recipient of the 2025 NY Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award.
This season is especially meaningful as we also celebrate the 86th birthday of our visionary founder, Garth Fagan. A recipient of numerous honors, including the Tony Award, Olivier Award, and the National Medal of the Arts, and most recently, he was the proud recipient of the 2025 NY Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award. Fagan’s pioneering choreography has influenced generations of dancers around the world. His company remains a beacon of artistic excellence, innovation, and cultural expression. Garth Fagan Dance is proud to return to Nazareth University for this milestone performance series.
Contact
Julie Long | Chief PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
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Revival of “Never Top 40” (1985), performed by (L-R): Anderson Lewis, Jahkim Hodge Price, Sabrina Shiman, and Raea Moorehead, will be performed at Nazareth University, May 7-10. Photo by David Schiffhauer.