NAN Celebrates Living Black History, Honoring George Faison

Every day during Black History Month, we will honor chapter leaders, advocates, and partners who are shaping Black History now.

(February 4th, 2021) — Today, we honor George Faison, Broadway’s First African American to win a Tony Award for Best Choreography,

George W. Faison danced with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1967 through 1970. He was the first African American choreographer to win a Tony Award for his choreography in The Wiz (1975). In the early 1970s, he created two modern American dance classics, Suite Otis and Slaves for the George Faison Universal Dance Experience. Mr. Faison choreographed for Broadway and choreographed and directed numerous productions for regional theaters. In the early 1980s, he changed his professional career focus to writing, directing, and choreographing dramatic and musical theater pieces. Mr. Faison co-produced and wrote the Cosby Salutes Ailey NBC TV special celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He is co-founder and the producing artistic director of the Faison Firehouse Theatre, located in a former Harlem firehouse. In addition to the theatre, Mr. Faison has developed a unique performing arts-based outreach and youth theatre project, the Faison Firehouse Respect Project.