Series brings Fagan, Winner

It makes sense for renowned choreographer Garth Fagan, who grew his grass roots dance company in Rochester from "The Bottom of the Bucket . . . But" in 1970 to its now international repute, to talk about art and its importance in our communities. His company has entertained, enriched, drawn from and relied upon many regional communities for support and eventual fame.

Garth Fagan Photo by Len Prince

Fagan presents "The Importance of Art in a Democratic Society," the Jan. 29 installment of the 1997­98 Caroline Werner Gannett Lecture Series at RIT. He lectures at 7:30 p.m. in Webb Auditorium, James E. Booth Building.

With his innovative blend of Afro-Caribbean, ballet and post-modern experimental dance, Fagan ranks among the few "modern dance giants" to achieve success in both nonprofit concert dance and Broadway production. That came about this November when he choreographed Disney's hit, The Lion King, on Broadway.

Describing his crossover success and his faith in audiences, Fagan recently told a Gannett News Service reporter, "Why shouldn't people at the forefront of concert dance move to Broadway? We get to play for a wider audience. Yes, people are entertained. But they can also be enlightened and enriched." Though his troupe, Garth Fagan Dance, performs around the world, it continues to offer a Rochester season; it opened in RIT's Robert F. Panara Theatre last month.

Langdon Winner

Close on the heels of Fagan's talk, the Gannett series presents Langdon Winner, author and philosopher of technology. He lectures at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, in Webb Auditorium. Winner wrote the books Autonomous Technology and The Whale and the Reactor, considered by many as classics in the field. Professor of science, technology and society at Rennselear Polytechnic Institute, Winner has taught and lectured worldwide.

Each Gannett lecture, free and open to the public, offers interpreting for deaf and hearing audiences and concludes with a reception. Call -2929 for more information.