For those of you who hadn’t heard, Hubert Farrington, the first Bahamian classical dancer (that I know of) and the founder of the Nassau Civic Ballet, was knocked down and killed on Sunday past. (I’m not clear exactly which date he was killed, but as I heard of his death two days ago, I’m guessing it was last Sunday. If I’ve got the dates wrong, please somebody let me know).
Mr. Farrington was one of the three “stars” taught by Meta Davis-Cumberbatch in the second quarter of the twentieth century, the other two being Winston Saunders and E. Clement Bethel — students for whom she desired much and expected even more. Perhaps because of her ambition and expectation, and certainly because of her discipline and hard work, each of these men laid the foundations for a vibrant cultural life in this country. That we have not capitalized on it is not their fault. But we must remember them anyway.
Mr. Farrington began as a musician, but when he migrated to New York in the 1940s he learned to dance and, most remarkably, became a good enough ballet dancer to become a professional working at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He returned to Nassau in the 1960s to found a ballet school, the Nassau Civic Ballet, and that action was seminal to the future development of dance in the capital. From the Civic Ballet came the New Breed Dancers by way of Alex and Violette Zybine, and the New Breed Dancers provided many many of the professional dance teachers working in Nassau today.
Mr. Farrington was one of the most brilliant men I have ever met. He was not easy to talk to. He was often in another world, but when he was in ours his intellect was staggering. He remained like that until his death.
R.I.P., Hubert Farrington. Another cultural giant has passed on.
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As a former student (early 60′s), I can truly say that Hubert was a very talented eccentric who loved the Bahamas. May he rest in peace and dance with the angels.
I had the honour of dancing and studying with Mr. Farrington from 1979 until he closed the school in 1989. During that time I received an education that was priceless. Who I am today is because of him. Many people are not aware of those years as we were not in the public eye as much as in the past. He took groups of dancers to Cuba to participate in their International summer dance course for 5 years and exposed our young dancers (and those of us who were older) to a level of culture and dance that opened our eyes wide and made us work ever harder. The crowning moment being when Laura Alonso, daughter of the famous Ballerina Alicia Alonso, had their choreographers teach two of our dancers, Shawn and Tanya, one of their award winning Ballets.
If anyone is interested I have years of photos of our dancers in Havana and at the Nassau Civic Ballet as I tended to be the designated photographer.
He is always with me in everything I do in my life and always will be. He is/was my mentor and teacher.
I was a student at the time Lynn was there and to my shock, I only realized that Hubert Farrington had passed away on the day of his funeral.
This man was no ordinary man. He is a legend deserves that respect. He changed the lives of so many dancers in the Bahamas and world wide. I’m only sorry that a much bigger effort was not made to announce his death. We have TRULY lost one of the GREAT ONES.
A memorial is definitely in order.
It was my honour and privilege to have known and studied with Mr. Hubert Farrington from 1982 – 1989.
Coming from England and practising Yoga at the Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, I began to hear the name of Mr. Farrington, Swami Sivananda Yoga Institute and Nassau Civic Ballet. Curious, I ventured to a yoga class and since then my life gradually became transformed.
Intially going there to advance in yoga, I found myself studing ballet also. Mr. Farrington was such a profound and unique teacher with his ability to play with words, that he combined the science of yoga and the beauty and artisticness of ballet to join together in harmony.
This truly spiritual, deeply knowledgable man guided me on my journey, I placed myself in his capable hands, wanting to follow these simple and beautiful teachings and put them to practise in my life.
Secretly, this was my Guru, although he would never proclaim himself as one, for I had faith in his words and listened devoutly to his lectures. Things happened, I married, travelled to Swami Sivananda’s Ashram, Rishikesh, India, studied ballet in Havana, Cuba and gave birth to my son Marc.
During this time Mr. Farrington received the President of the “Divine Life Society” in India, Swami Chidananda and Sri Katikayan, a disciple of Swami Sivananda, to come for a visit to Nassau.
Although Mr. Farrington followed the teachings of Swami Sivananda, he had his own original way of adapting them to his students needs.
After the closure of the Swami Sivananda Yoga Institute and the Nassau Civic Ballet I continued to be guided by Mr. Farrington, who became Marc’s Godfather, but also God The Father, this was his way with words.
I pay tribute to this gifted musician, cheographer and dancer, inspiring teacher, and above all a deeply spiritual man, who gave his life to the furtherance of each persons soul that he touched.
Sheila Prichard, Mr. Farrington’s neice said to me “He was ahead of his time”, but all great names in history have been ahead of their time, it is only through the insight of the teacher that the student moves to a higher level in his life. No| he was exactly in the right place, and he will be remembered in history as a pioneer in the Performing Arts as the teacher lives on in the life of the student.
Mr. Farrington would often quote a famous line from one of William Shakespear’s plays. plays.”Death once dead, there!s no more dying then”.
God Bless
Lisa
Hello Lynn,
Do you remember me?
You mentioned if anyone was interested in pictures – I am very interested. Mr. Farrington, Nassau Civic Ballet and Cuba was a huge part of my life growing up. Amazing memories.
I was Mr. Farrington’s student from 1978 when my mother’s best friend’s daughter, Marcia, was bragging that she was “taking ballet.” I cried to my mother telling her how I would be a good girl if she would only put me in ballet classes. Little did I know that I would be destined to study with Mr. Farrington and join him in the Balet Nacional de Cuba summer program until 1988 and also taking me to an ashram in India to study yoga. My life changed forever.
Although I was only 12 years old I knew that he wanted great things from me, and I was ready for the challenge. He always said that it takes five years to become a doctor, but it takes eight years to become a dancer. So, I gave him ten years of my life, and all of it was wonderful and hard.
In 1990 I left Nassau and went to New York to audition with the Dance Theatre of Harlem thanks to Patrick Johnson, who was an accomplished Bahamian dancer already with DTH. I got in and danced with the ansemble for 6 years having the great opportunity to perform “Giselle” and “Firebird” with the company. If you don’t believe ask my grandmother who came with my mother to snowy Manhattan to see me perform at Lincoln Center. Throughout all this Mr. Farrignton and all his teachings were with me.
Thank you Mr. Farrington for allowing me to live my dreams.
-Tanya McClure-Estevez
P.S. Hey Lynne, I would love to see those pictures!
I,too,had the privilege of studying ballet in Nassau under Mr Farrington, with Lynn,Jennifer,Tanya,Shawn,Lisa, and several others. I was an expatriate from the United States living in the Bahamas from 1984-1988. Lynn introduced me to the Nassau Civic Ballet. I had studied ballet when I was a child but have never lost the desire to dance. It was the most memorable experience of my life dancing with them,studying with him, traveling to Cuba several times; hard, hard work but so very rewarding. I am so sorry to hear of the loss of this great man. All of you are such an important part of my live. I lost touch with Lynn for a while, but we have contact again. Lisa,I have your email address and will drop you a line soon. Congratulatons on the birth of your son. Tanya, I’d love to hear from you again. Jennifer, last I knew you had a school in New York-drop me a line and send me your email address. I love you all so very much. Has anyone heard from Shawn, and how to contact him? And,Tanya,I agree with you to Thank Mr Farrington for allowing us to live our dreams and for making things possible for us that we never dreamed possible.
Love to you all,
Dee Appleton (Dorothy, to Mr Farrington)
Hi Tanya and Victoria (of course I remember you!),
I have all the pictures packed up at the moment but will try to dig them out. I have sold mom’s house and am moving to Palm Beach, Florida next summer. I will be in Africa from April to July next year before I move so email will be the best way to contact me after April. I also have Mr. Farrington’s poem “If thou wouldst be a Dancer. I have a box full of Cuba photos as well as an album that is a compilation of several years. Please call me or email me.
And Tanya I REALLY want to talk to you. It has been too long. By the way Gaelan just turned 21….thought that might make you feel old!!
Lynn
As all personal information has been edited out I have no way of getting in touch or you guys getting in touch with me. Maybe if you sign up with facebook or skype. I am on both now.
Lynn
Lynn, I forwarded your contacts by email to Tanya and Victoria.
I have their contacts. I can forward you their emails as well.
I just don’t want you to get spammed by leaving your personal info on my blog!
Nicolette
As a young girl in Nassau in the early ’60s I had the priviledge of being a student at the Nassau Civic Ballet. Hubert Farrington opened the world of dance to me. Ballet was my life and I so enjoyed taking class at the studio in his house and performing at the Dundas Civic Centre. Now I live in Australia and three times a year I take my daughter to see the Australian Ballet perform and the music and the ballet always reminds me of a lovely time in my life when I too danced to the music. Thank you Hubert Farrington for introducing me to dance, it has always been a part of my life.
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