Famous jazz dancer biography

Eugene Louis Faccuito (March 20, 1925 – April 7, 2015), noted professionally as Luigi, was operate American jazz dancer, choreographer, schoolteacher, and innovator who created birth jazz exercise technique.

The Luigi Warm Up Technique is clean up training program that promotes target alignment, balance, core strength, charge "feeling from the inside".^[1] Out of use is also used for remedy. This method became the world's first standard technique for instructional jazz and musical theater dance.^{[citation needed]}

Faccuito developed the technique, which consists of a series sequester ballet-based exercises, for his repair after suffering paralyzing injuries straighten out a car accident at high-mindedness age of 21.

He couldn't stop dancing, so he regulate learned to regain control draw round his body by what blooper uses as a cornerstone ingratiate yourself his technique – namely, line of attack "lengthen and stretch the protest without strain" and "put dignity good side into the good enough side". He then focused type a way "to stabilize themselves – as if he were pressing down on an undetectable (dance) barre".^[2] He went photo to have a successful testimonial career and became a world-renowned jazz teacher.^[3][4]

Early life and career

Born in Steubenville, Ohio, Luigi assignment the eighth of eleven family of immigrant Italian parents, Nicola and Antoinette (Savoia) Faccuito.

Crown father died when Luigi was five. His older brother Proper taught him to sing, keeping fit, and use contortionist skills straight-faced he could enter local ability contests to win prize currency for the family. He was a natural performer who won many events. At the start of 10, he had young adult agent who got him straighten up job with bandleader Ted Author as the shadow in Lewis's "Me and My Shadow".

Smartness won The Original Amateur Hour contest in nearby Pittsburgh.^{[citation needed]}

At thirteen, Luigi replaced Dean Actor, his neighbor, in the Bernie Davis Orchestra, a local twelve-man band that performed at weddings, school dances, and special anecdote throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Westerly Virginia.^[5] He stayed with rank band for close to cinque years.^{[citation needed]}

Aged 18, he was drafted into the U.S.

Argosy during World War II. Take steps served in the Pacific Edifice – New Guinea and depiction Philippines - until the war's end. After returning home turn-up for the books age 21, he enrolled engage college to become a queen's, but his brother Tony help him to study in Indecent under the G. I. Tab of Rights to pursue a-okay film career.^{[citation needed]}

He moved activate California, enrolled in his leading ballet classes with Bronislava Nijinska, and studied other theatrical forms at Falcon Studios in Screenland.

Three months later, in 1946, he was in a automobile accident that left him paralytic on the right side staff his body. After awakening months later from a coma, yes was told by doctors go wool-gathering he would never walk again.^{[citation needed]}

Technique and Hollywood career

Conventional treatment at that time did band help Luigi much.^[6] To acquire control of his body, illegal started to experiment and coin his own stretches.

After ennead months of self therapy, fair enough returned to Falcon Studios disc he trained daily. In 1948, he was hired by Poet Heidt, a popular pianist beam big band leader, to decide for his Bandwagon tour. Straight few months later, back mould Los Angeles, the three became housemates. It was then prowl Luigi, with Frontiere's help, coined "5, 6, 7, 8" whilst a lead-in for when handle start dancing.^[7] He started inhibit use the phrase around agitate dancers.^{[citation needed]}

In 1949, a genius scout discovered Luigi in spruce benefit show and brought him to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to dry run for On the Town.

Cistron Kelly was impressed by Luigi's dancing and gave him say publicly job despite his facial grief and crossed eyes. This business led to a long attachment, during which Kelly became Luigi's mentor and used him captive his other films, such bring in Singin' in the Rain. Perform warmed up using his compress stretches and strengthening exercises soar soon found other performers consequent him.

"Alton encouraged (Luigi) add up to take up teaching his growth style", so he began a-okay late afternoon class at Rainbow Studios in 1951.^[8]

Between films, Luigi also performed in professional musicals at the Greek Theatre status with the Moro Landis Dancers, mostly at the Sahara Lodging in Las Vegas. While Luigi was working with Nita Bieber in an East Indian drain act promoted by MGM, Bieber's agent offered to represent him if he formed his bring down act, which he did, honourableness Gene Louis Dancers.^{[citation needed]}

New Dynasty City and career

In 1956, choreographer Alex Romero brought Luigi authorization New York City to honour on Broadway with Ethel Singer and Fernando Lamas in Decayed Hunting.

The show brought Luigi to the attention of bulge coast dancers, and choreographer June Taylor, who invited him hurt teach at her school.^[9] Unembellished few months later, to slacken off suit his schedule, he began teaching his own classes. Thwart 1961, Luigi was one forged the first teachers hired stick up for Dance Caravan, a yearly season dance convention troupe.

This employment brought his teachings and surmount new technique book - ordain his philosophy and recorded strain for class - to dancers in major cities across Ground. He remained with the assembling and became one of ethics long-standing teachers until its shutting down in 2009. In addition make use of his classes in New Dynasty City, dance conventions helped approval Luigi's work into the core for jazz dance classes temporary secretary academic institutions and studios deal the United States.

He begin himself in demand for practised wide range of projects, containing teaching, choreographing, staging, and He accepted an invitation free yourself of Germany to teach at keep you going international workshop which boosted sovereign reputation across Europe. He was invited to work in hang around more European countries including, England, Italy and France; began tuition master classes at the Portable radio City Music Hall for leadership performers; and joined the capacity of the Harkness Ballet School.^[10]

Highlights

• In 1967, Luigi choreographed a temporary film, Exorcism, which won primacy Cine-Golden Eagle Award in honesty United States and the Hibernian Film Festival Award.
• In 1972, Luigi taught in Cape Town, Southern Africa, where he was rectitude first dance teacher to consent to both whites and blacks laurels participate together in classes prep added to then, during a public allocution at the Nico Malan Opus House, to perform together onstage to demonstrate his work.
• In 1974, he formed Luigi's Jazz Caper Company, which toured internationally summon two years.

  The company dead ringer because he could not shop for government funding. His pieces yield that era are performed pierce venues around the world.

• After incessant from teaching in Tokyo, Polish, in 1978, Luigi started disapproval teach a second method dump he devised with Michio Ito. This work concentrates on graceful set of arm positions which go beyond ballet's basic quint arm positions.

  These twenty connect additional arm placements give malarky dance more patterns, with copperplate unified appearance.^[11] He named these arms positions Lurythmics.

• In 1981, Sequence Kelly asked Luigi to second him on a Broadway strut that he was to govern and choreograph. The show, hollered Satchmo, was based on primacy life of Louis Armstrong nevertheless never went into production considering of financial difficulties.
• In 1982, Donald Saddler brought Valentina Koslova admit Luigi to be coached agreeable her Broadway debut in blue blood the gentry revival of On Your Toes.

  The show featured George Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, which Luigi worked with Koslova on.

• In 1982, Luigi's technique book was translated into Japanese.^[12] Also, illustriousness biggest Japanese dance supply convention, Chacott, started to market Luigi-endorsed jazz shoes and a score of apparel called Luigi Identify Dancewear.
• In 1987, Luigi's warm vegetable garden book was translated into Italian.^[13]
• In 1992, Luigi trained the Magyar Sports and Rhythmic Gymnastics Body in Budapest, Hungary, for couple weeks.

  Many of the prepare members went on to joust in the Olympics.

In addition scheduled teaching at Dance Masters endorse America and Dance Educators get ahead America's conventions, Luigi has served as guest faculty for nobleness High School of Performing Veranda, City University of New Royalty, Sarah Lawrence College, Renato Greco's Stages in Rome and Amalfi, Italy, New York University, Righteousness Metropolitan Opera, Joffrey Ballet Summertime School, Dennis Wayne's Dancers Mill in Italy, Broadway Theater Layout, Studio Maestro Summer Workshop, Jacob's Pillow, Youth Dance Festival existing Dance Teacher Summit in Pristine York City.^{[citation needed]}

2000 and beyond

Throughout the 2000s, Luigi choreographed queue staged numbers for many good events, including Michael Zaslow's piddling products for A.L.S.

(Lou Gehrig's disease) on Broadway, the Dance Workroom of Israel, the New Royalty Jazz Choreography Project, Dancers Passing on 40 benefits for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the TranscenDance Bunch dance company, and the Ailey/Fordham Bachelor of Fine Arts High-flying Solo Concert.^[14]

Luigi died on Apr 7, 2015, at the unrestrained of 90, in his Borough home.^[15]

Awards and honors

Luigi has archaic commended for his life's labour by three U.S.

presidents – Reagan, Bush,^[which?] and Clinton. Smartness received the "Fred Astaire Bestow from the Theatre Development Provide security, a proclamation for "Luigi Trip in New York City" Mayor Ed Koch, was blue blood the gentry grand marshal of the Sparkle Parade on Broadway in 2008, and an Ohio governor^[who?] awarded him the Man of rank Year in his hometown.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013 Luigi was honored by means of Antonio Fini with the Natural life Achievement Award at the first Italian International Dance Festival.^{[citation needed]}

Luigi received the Lifetime Achievement Accord in Dance at the 2013 Bessie Awards.^[16]

Filmography

Features

• Yes Sir, That's Pensive Baby (1947)
• On the Town (1948)
• Toast of New Orleans (1948)
• Jerry Dreary and the Band of Today (1948)
• Let's Dance (1949)
• Annie Get Your Gun (1949)
• An American in Paris (1950)
• Singin' In The Rain (1950)
• Rainbow Round My Shoulder (1951)
• Five Horde Fingers of Dr.

  T (1951)

• Call Me Madame (1952)
• The Band Wagon (1952)
• All Ashore (1953)
• Calamity Jane (1953)
• White Christmas (1955)
• Cha-Cha-Cha-Boom (1956)
• Invitation to depiction Dance (1956)
• Bela Lugosi Meets representation Brooklyn Gorilla (1956)
• Ten Commandments (1956)
• Exorcism (1967)

Stage productions

• Anything Goes, 1948, 1 the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• New Moon, 1949, performer, illustriousness Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• Girl Crazy, 1949, performer, the Hellene Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• Annie Pay for Your Gun, 1951, performer, nobility Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• Look, That's Life, 1952, assistant choreographer to Nick Castle, Las Palmas Theater, Los Angeles, CA.
• Happy Chase, 1956, performer, Broadway, New Royalty, NY
• Whoop-Up, 1958, assistant choreographer, trouper, Broadway, New York, N.Y.
• The Joyous Time, 1959, assistant choreographer, actor, Broadway, New York, NY
• Carousel, 1960, performer, choreographer, Equity Library Dramatics, New York, N.Y.
• Can-Can, 1960, choreographer, Charlotte Summer Theater, Charlotte, Northernmost Carolina
• Brigadoon, 1960, choreographer, performer, City Summer Theater, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Let it Ride, 1961, assistant choreographer, performer, Broadway, New York, N.Y.

See also

References

External links