Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. is a Rochester-based nonprofit founded in 1970 that operates a professional contemporary dance company and dance school built on the trademarked Fagan Technique™. It serves audiences through touring performances, dance education for children and adults, and Rochester community partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersRochester, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. does
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. is a Rochester, NY-based nonprofit performing-arts organization founded in 1970 by choreographer Garth Fagan. It operates the professional Garth Fagan Dance Company, which performs original contemporary choreography at touring venues (The Joyce Theater, Smith Opera House, Nazareth University, Rochester Fringe Festival) and through educational/community programming. Its core intellectual asset is the trademarked Fagan Technique™, a proprietary movement vocabulary integrating Post-modern, Modern, Ballet, Afro-Caribbean, and African dance that has reached over 100 million people through Garth Fagan's Tony Award-winning choreography for Disney's The Lion King on Broadway.
The company's product surface is anchored by four offerings: the professional Company, the Garth Fagan Dance School (children's Saturday, adult community, and intermediate classes), the Student Ensemble (ages 8–18 elite training), and the Summer Movement Institute (a three-week intensive held at RIT's 'The SHED'). Distribution is regional/regional-touring — primarily Northeast US — supported by community partnerships with Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Nazareth University, RIT, and SUNY Brockport.
As a 501(c)-style nonprofit, the company earns revenue through a diversified mix: ticket sales at ticketed performances, school and SMI tuition (children $235/semester, adult $265–$550, SMI $1,200 + $30 registration), gala sponsorships ($1,000–$15,000 tiers), individual/foundation/corporate donations (including a 2026 matching campaign with up to $400,000 in anonymous-donor matching), and grants from public agencies including the NEA ($20K–$39K tier) and the New York State Council on the Arts (a recent $24,400 capital grant for LED lighting). Leadership transitioned in November 2023, with founder Garth Fagan moving to Distinguished Artistic Director Emeritus, Norwood 'PJ' Pennewell appointed Artistic Director, and Natalie Rogers-Cropper appointed Executive Director. The company currently operates with 1–10 core employees and is celebrating its 55th anniversary season in 2026.
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.
- Legal name
- Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.
- Website
- https://garthfagan-dance.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. is a Rochester-based nonprofit founded in 1970 that operates a professional contemporary dance company and dance school built on the trademarked Fagan Technique™. It serves audiences through touring performances, dance education for children and adults, and Rochester community partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Dance Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (711120), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD)
Keywords
Where Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rochester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Performance Tickets: Revenue from ticketed performances at venues including The Joyce Theater, Nazareth University, Smith Opera House, and the Rochester Fringe Festival.
- Donations and Fundraising: The company runs a 55th anniversary matching campaign with up to $400,000 in matched contributions from an anonymous donor. Individual, foundation, corporate, and public agency donations sustain the mission.
- Dance School Tuition: Tuition revenue from dance school classes including children's Saturday classes, adult community classes, intermediate classes, and Student Ensemble programs. Also includes the Summer Movement Institute intensive program.
- Gala Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for the annual gala event at various levels ($1,000 to $15,000), with benefits including tickets, recognition, and access to performances.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 55th Anniversary Matching Campaign - donations matched dollar for dollar |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Gala Sponsorship Levels |
| Subscription | Annual | Children's Saturday Classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Adult Community Classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Intermediate Class |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Ensemble |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Summer Movement Institute (SMI) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Garth Fagan Dance is a nonprofit contemporary dance company that produces and presents original choreography at regional venues and festivals, while operating the Garth Fagan Dance School and Summer Movement Institute to train dancers in its proprietary Fagan Technique™. The company also runs the Student Ensemble, an elite youth training program for ages 8-18, and develops collaborative performances with cultural institutions such as Memorial Art Gallery and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
Product overview
Garth Fagan Dance is a performing arts organization offering a unified portfolio of dance services centered on its professional dance company and educational programs. The core offering is the Garth Fagan Dance Company, which performs original choreography and achieved worldwide recognition through Garth Fagan's Tony Award-winning choreography for Disney's The Lion King. Supporting this is the Garth Fagan Dance School, which provides dance education to children and adults using the proprietary Fagan Technique™. The Summer Movement Institute offers intensive multi-week programs, while the Student Ensemble provides elite youth training. All offerings are unified by the Fagan Technique, a distinctive movement vocabulary developed by the founder that integrates modern, postmodern, Afro-Caribbean, and ballet influences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Garth Fagan Dance Company The professional contemporary dance company founded by Garth Fagan in 1970, performing original choreography at regional venues, national festivals, and international tours. Achieved international recognition including Tony Award-winning choreography for Disney's The Lion King.
- Garth Fagan Dance School A dance education program offering semester-based classes for children, adults, and intermediate dancers, teaching the Fagan Technique. Children's Saturday classes are $235 per semester; adult community classes are $265 for 1 class/week or $550 for 2 classes/week with $25 walk-in rate. Has provided training to over 10,000 students since 1991.
- Summer Movement Institute (SMI)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 million individuals have experienced the Fagan Technique through Disney's The Lion King and international tours
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Nazareth UniversitycoreHome season venue for Garth Fagan Dance's 55th anniversary celebrations. The company's home season performances take place at Nazareth University Arts Center, continuing a longstanding partnership since 1981.
- Memorial Art Gallery (University of Rochester)coreCollaboration on the John Rhoden exhibition with original choreography by Artistic Director PJ Pennewell. Partnership includes the 2026 Gala held at the gallery and ongoing exhibition collaborations.
- Rochester Philharmonic OrchestracoreCollaboration on Rite of Spring premiere choreographed by Norwood 'PJ' Pennewell. Historic as the first time The Rite of Spring has been choreographed by a Black American choreographer. Also collaborated on gala performances.
- Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)coreRIT hosts the Summer Movement Institute at 'The SHED' facility. The company also participates in RIT's Expressions of King's Legacy event and received an honorary doctorate from RIT.
- The Joyce TheatercoreMajor performance venue in New York City. GFD returns for its 55th anniversary season with performances scheduled November 4-8, 2026.
- Finger Lakes OperaminorCollaboration on productions including 'The Anonymous Lover' and 'Two Corners'.
- Smith Opera House / Geneva ConcertsminorPerformance venue as part of Geneva Concert's 80th Season, returning September 26, 2026.
- Rochester Area Community FoundationcoreMajor funder and co-presenter of Juneteenth celebration. Listed as supporting sponsor at the Lion King ($50,000+) level and supports various company initiatives.
- SUNY BrockportminorEstablished the Garth Fagan Legacy Award, a $10,000 award for outstanding graduating dance students. Garth Fagan was recruited by SUNY Brockport to their dance faculty in 1970.
- Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. CommissionminorCo-presenter of Juneteenth Celebration at MLK Jr. Memorial Park.
- WegmansminorProvides daily lunches for the Summer Movement Institute participants.
- Floating Home FilmsminorCollaboration on John Rhoden exhibition video production with filmmaker Alex Weiser.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Donald Byrd/The Group: A contemporary dance company with a focus on socially engaged choreography. Comparable as a contemporary/modern dance producing organization, though smaller and more emerging-stage than GFD.
Direct peers
- Complexions Contemporary Ballet: A contemporary dance company that similarly blends classical and modern vocabularies. Direct comparability in artistic positioning as a fusion-style contemporary company with educational outreach programming.
- Martha Graham Dance Company: A legacy modern dance company of similar longevity, NYC-based, with an affiliated school and a single-founder legacy (Martha Graham). Direct parallel to GFD in terms of archival recognition, repertory focus, and educational programming structure.
- Mark Morris Dance Group: A leading contemporary dance organization with both a performing company and an education/community engagement arm. Comparable as a nonprofit dance institution balancing creation, performance, and instruction across multiple programs.
- Limon Dance Company: A legacy modern dance company preserving a canonical choreographer's technique, with a professional company and educational programs. Direct parallel as a technique-centered modern dance institution with a school and archival legacy.
- Paul Taylor American Modern Dance: Another founder-led modern dance institution with a school, NYC presence, and repertoire-driven performance model. Closely comparable in company size, programming philosophy, and reliance on a canonical founder's body of work.
- Dayton Contemporary Dance Company: A modern dance company with a parallel focus on African-American choreographic tradition and a strong educational/community engagement mission. Closely comparable in mission, founder-led legacy, and grant-dependent operating model.
- Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: A major regional contemporary dance company with deep educational programming (Hubbard Street Dance Center). Comparable as a company-plus-school model with touring engagements, though with greater scale and Chicago-based positioning.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: The most prominent modern dance company in the U.S., with a similar focus on African-American choreographic tradition and an affiliated school (The Ailey School). Comparable in mission, educational programming, and NYC-based performance schedule, though operating at significantly larger scale.
- Dallas Black Dance Theatre: A modern dance company with a strong educational outreach arm (DBDT Academy), focused on African-American dance traditions. Comparable as a touring company with school programming and a mission centered on cultural representation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceGarth Fagan Dance, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.
What does Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. do?
Garth Fagan Dance is a nonprofit contemporary dance company that produces and presents original choreography at regional venues and festivals, while operating the Garth Fagan Dance School and Summer Movement Institute to train dancers in its proprietary Fagan Technique™. The company also runs the Student Ensemble, an elite youth training program for ages 8-18, and develops collaborative performances with cultural institutions such as Memorial Art Gallery and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
Is Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. a public or private company?
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. founded?
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. was founded in 1970. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. based?
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. is headquartered in Rochester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Performance Tickets are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, dance School Tuition and gala Sponsorships.
Who are Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.'s main competitors?
Donald Byrd/The Group is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Limon Dance Company, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
Does Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Garth Fagan Dance, Inc..
What industry is Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. in?
Garth Fagan Dance, Inc.'s product category is Contemporary Dance Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAB, Contemporary & Modern Dance, with a secondary code of EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance). Its NAICS code is 711120 and its SIC code is 7900.