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. He 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. He 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, he has developed a unique performing arts-based outreach and youth theatre project, the Faison Firehouse Respect Project. Mr. Faison presented his first performance season at the Faison Firehouse Theatre in the fall of 2008.