Garth Fagan Dance

Garth Fagan Dance is a renowned artist-led cultural institution founded in 1970 by Garth Fagan, the Tony Award-winning choreographer of Disney's The Lion King on Broadway. Based in Rochester, NY, the organization operates as both a professional dance company and a teaching school. The company has performed across 660 cities on 6 continents and been inducted into the Archives of the Library of Congress as a 20th-century dance treasure.

The Garth Fagan Dance School teaches the proprietary Fagan Technique, a distinctive vocabulary that seamlessly integrates Post-modern, Modern, Ballet, Afro-Caribbean, and African dance styles. Classes are offered year-round through fall, winter, and spring semesters, with a three-week intensive Summer Movement Institute (SMI) for students aged 13 and up. The SMI includes 4 classes per day, 5 days a week, covering Fagan Technique, Composition, and Repertory, plus nutrition classes, music appreciation lectures, mentoring by company members, field trips, and a final student showcase performance. The school mission is to create an environment where appreciation for dance is fostered, using the Fagan mantra "Discipline is Freedom" to build self-esteem, leadership skills, and mental and physical strength.

Under the creative leadership of Artistic Director Norwood 'PJ' Pennewell and Executive Director Natalie Rogers-Cropper, both Bessie award winners, the company delivers performances that blend the studio's signature fusion of modern, postmodern, Afro-Caribbean, and ballet influences. Recent and upcoming performances include appearances at The Joyce Theater (November 2026), Smith Opera House (September 2026), and a Juneteenth celebration at MLK Jr. Memorial Park in Rochester (June 2026). The company has also created original choreography for the Memorial Art Gallery's exhibition "Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden."

The studio is located at 50 Chestnut Street, 3rd Floor, Rochester, NY 14604, with office hours Monday to Friday 10:30am–6:00pm. Street parking is available on Chestnut and Lawn streets (metered, free after 6pm and weekends), and several paid parking lots are nearby, including options at $1–6 for 2 hours.

Classes at Garth Fagan Dance School are taught barefoot and support individuality in dance attire—you don't need leotards and tights, just clothing you can move in. You'll learn the Fagan Technique through instruction by company staff and professional dancers. The school emphasizes structure and offers classes for students of all levels, from those new to dance to those preparing for a professional career.

The school is led by Artistic Director Norwood 'PJ' Pennewell and Executive Director Natalie Rogers-Cropper, both Bessie award-winning artists. The studio is founded by Garth Fagan, Distinguished Artistic Director Emeritus, the Tony Award-winning choreographer of Disney's The Lion King. Classes are taught by Garth Fagan Dance company members as part of the teaching faculty.

The school welcomes students of all levels and supports a professional dance setting with structure for beginners as well as those preparing for a career in dance.