Juneteenth performance by Garth Fagan Dance announced

ROCHESTER, NY — Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced on Wednesday an upcoming Juneteenth performance by Garth Fagan Dance.

This is the first year Monroe County has recognized Juneteenth as an official holiday and the first year the county has scheduled a commemorative event.

“Last year, I had the honor of signing legislation recognizing Juneteenth as an official County holiday and of being the first Monroe County Executive to fly the Juneteenth flag at the County Office Building,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. “Observing and celebrating this important day in American history honors the legacies and accomplishments of our Black community and recognizes that the fight for freedom, justice and equality for all is not yet over.”

The Juneteenth holiday honors June 19, 1865 – the date slaves held in Texas were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

To mark the holiday, the county is sponsoring a performance by Garth Fagan Dance at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 353 Court Street. Admission is free.

All Monroe County offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth.

Garth Fagan Dance:

Garth Fagan Dance is an internationally acclaimed contemporary American dance company, a bustling school of dance with an enrollment of 400 students, and a community-based resource of broad and growing influence, whose home has remained in Rochester for almost five decades.

About Garth Fagan:

Known around the world for his groundbreaking choreography of Broadway’s The Lion King, Garth Fagan is widely acknowledged as one of the most dynamic and original artists working in the field today – architect of a distinct new movement style, creator of over 75 works for theater and the concert stage, inspired teacher, and the man who transformed Rochester, NY into an incubator for world-class contemporary dance.

To learn more about the company, click here.