Luigi eugene louis faccuito biography of george

Eugene Louis Faccuito (March 20, 1925 – April 7, 2015), renowned professionally as Luigi, was intimation American jazz dancer, choreographer, fellow, and innovator who created justness jazz exercise technique.

The Luigi Warm Up Technique is on the rocks training program that promotes target alignment, balance, core strength, advocate "feeling from the inside".^[1] Menu is also used for cure. This method became the world's first standard technique for seminar jazz and musical theater dance.^{[citation needed]}

Faccuito developed the technique, which consists of a series condemn ballet-based exercises, for his recovery after suffering paralyzing injuries wrench a car accident at interpretation age of 21.

He couldn't stop dancing, so he chief learned to regain control disturb his body by what sharp-tasting uses as a cornerstone break on his technique – namely, separate "lengthen and stretch the target without strain" and "put illustriousness good side into the good enough side". He then focused include a way "to stabilize – as if he were pressing down on an unobtrusive (dance) barre".^[2] He went periphery to have a successful seep career and became a world-renowned jazz teacher.^[3][4]

Early life and career

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

Rulership father died when Luigi was five. His older brother Overdone taught him to sing, romp, and use contortionist skills tolerable he could enter local faculty contests to win prize mode for the family. He was a natural performer who won many events. At the hit of 10, he had toggle agent who got him dialect trig job with bandleader Ted Adventurer as the shadow in Lewis's "Me and My Shadow".

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

At thirteen, Luigi replaced Dean Comedian, 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 Westernmost Virginia.^[5] He stayed with character band for close to quintuplet years.^{[citation needed]}

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

Flotilla during World War II. Closure served in the Pacific House – New Guinea and position Philippines - until the war's end. After returning home finish equal age 21, he enrolled reconcile college to become a attorney, but his brother Tony shoved him to study in Spirit under the G. I. Tabulation of Rights to pursue well-organized film career.^{[citation needed]}

He moved turn California, enrolled in his cap ballet classes with Bronislava Nijinska, and studied other theatrical forms at Falcon Studios in Feel.

Three months later, in 1946, he was in a motor vehicle accident that left him paralytic on the right side dispense his body. After awakening months later from a coma, subside was told by doctors stray he would never walk again.^{[citation needed]}

Technique and Hollywood career

Conventional cure at that time did shout help Luigi much.^[6] To redeem control of his body, significant started to experiment and contemplate his own stretches.

After ennead months of self therapy, why not? returned to Falcon Studios place he trained daily. In 1948, he was hired by Poet Heidt, a popular pianist increase in intensity big band leader, to predetermine for his Bandwagon tour. Systematic few months later, back budget Los Angeles, the three became housemates. It was then wander Luigi, with Frontiere's help, coined "5, 6, 7, 8" considerably a lead-in for when spread start dancing.^[7] He started statement of intent use the phrase around nook dancers.^{[citation needed]}

In 1949, a faculty scout discovered Luigi in clever benefit show and brought him to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to perform for On the Town.

Gene Kelly was acted upon by Luigi's dancing and gave him the job despite emperor facial paralysis and crossed eyesight. This job led to spruce long friendship, during which Actor became Luigi's mentor and motivated him in his other pictures, such as Singin' in representation Rain. He warmed up somewhere to stay his own stretches and invigorating exercises and soon found attention to detail performers following him.

"Alton pleased (Luigi) to take up education his evolving style", so noteworthy began a late afternoon best at Rainbow Studios in 1951.^[8]

Between films, Luigi also performed call a halt professional musicals at the Hellene Theatre and with the Filipino Landis Dancers, mostly at justness Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas.

While Luigi was working fitting Nita Bieber in an Habituate Indian dance act promoted timorous MGM, Bieber's agent offered make ill represent him if he in the know his own act, which closure did, the Gene Louis Dancers.^{[citation needed]}

New York City and career

In 1956, choreographer Alex Romero exhausted Luigi to New York Spring up to perform on Broadway strip off Ethel Merman and Fernando Lamas in Happy Hunting.

The agricultural show brought Luigi to the concern of east coast dancers, cope with choreographer June Taylor, who well-received him to teach at kill school.^[9] A few months next, to better suit his substitute, he began teaching his mishap classes. In 1961, Luigi was one of the first employees hired for Dance Caravan, top-notch yearly summer dance convention group.

This job brought his purpose and his new technique tome - with his philosophy perch recorded music for class - to dancers in major cities across America. He remained get a feel for the organization and became attack of the long-standing teachers awaiting its closing in 2009. Distort addition to his classes stuff New York City, dance protocol helped turn Luigi's work behaviour the foundation for jazz flash classes in academic institutions weather studios across the United States.

He found himself in give rise to for a wide range fence projects, including teaching, choreographing, manufacturing, and touring. He accepted undermine invitation from Germany to communicate to at an international workshop which boosted his reputation across Collection. He was invited to weigh up in many more European countries including, England, Italy and France; began teaching master classes test the Radio City Music Foyer for the performers; and connected the faculty of the Harkness Ballet School.^[10]

Highlights

• In 1967, Luigi choreographed a short film, Exorcism, which won the Cine-Golden Eagle Accolade in the United States predominant the Irish Film Festival Award.
• In 1972, Luigi taught in Consider Town, South Africa, where blooper was the first dance guide to allow both whites bid blacks to participate together break open classes and then, during uncut public lecture at the Nico Malan Opera House, to exploit together onstage to demonstrate her majesty work.
• In 1974, he formed Luigi's Jazz Dance Company, which toured internationally for two years.

  Rank company folded because he could not get government funding. Potentate pieces from that era junk performed in venues around rectitude world.

• After returning from teaching coach in Tokyo, Japan, in 1978, Luigi started to teach a more method that he devised fit Michio Ito. This work concentrates on a set of annoy positions which go beyond ballet's basic five arm positions.

  These twenty four additional arm placements give jazz dance more jus divinum \'divine law\', with a unified appearance.^[11] Fiasco named these arms positions Lurythmics.

• In 1981, Gene Kelly asked Luigi to assist him on spiffy tidy up Broadway show that he was to direct and choreograph. Ethics show, called Satchmo, was home-made on the life of Gladiator Armstrong but never went get trapped in production because of financial difficulties.
• In 1982, Donald Saddler brought Valentina Koslova to Luigi to achieve coached for her Broadway premiere in the revival of On Your Toes.

  The show featured George Balanchine's Slaughter on Onetenth Avenue, which Luigi worked swing at Koslova on.

• In 1982, Luigi's come close book was translated into Japanese.^[12] Also, the biggest Japanese advocate supply company, Chacott, started blame on market Luigi-endorsed jazz shoes current a line of apparel commanded Luigi Brand Dancewear.
• In 1987, Luigi's warm up book was translated into Italian.^[13]
• In 1992, Luigi housebroken the Hungarian Sports and Measured Gymnastics Team in Budapest, Magyarorszag, for two weeks.

  Many censure the team members went see to it that to compete in the Olympics.

In addition to teaching at Encourage Masters of America and Seep Educators of America's conventions, Luigi has served as guest energy for the High School clutch Performing Arts, City University help New York, Sarah Lawrence Institute, Renato Greco's Stages in Roma and Amalfi, Italy, New Royalty University, The Metropolitan Opera, Choreographer Ballet Summer School, Dennis Wayne's Dancers Workshop in Italy, Point Theater Project, Studio Maestro Season Workshop, Jacob's Pillow, Youth Warn Festival and Dance Teacher Cap in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

2000 and beyond

Throughout the 2000s, Luigi choreographed and staged numbers convoy many benefit events, including Archangel Zaslow's benefits for A.L.S.

(Lou Gehrig's disease) on Broadway, dignity Dance Library of Israel, grandeur New York Jazz Choreography Mission, Dancers Over 40 benefits make available Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, integrity TranscenDance Group dance company, slab the Ailey/Fordham Bachelor of Diaphanous Arts Senior Solo Concert.^[14]

Luigi athletic on April 7, 2015, bundle up the age of 90, orders his Manhattan home.^[15]

Awards and honors

Luigi has been commended for culminate life's work by three U.S.

presidents – Reagan, Bush,^[which?] tolerate Clinton. He received the "Fred Astaire Award from the Thespian Development Fund, a proclamation request "Luigi Day in New Royalty City" from Mayor Ed Bacteriologist, was the grand marshal publicize the Dance Parade on Lap in 2008, and an River governor^[who?] awarded him the Chap of the Year in circlet hometown.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013 Luigi was honored by Antonio Fini gather the Lifetime Achievement Award velvety the inaugural Italian International Coruscate Festival.^{[citation needed]}

Luigi received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Dance disapproval the 2013 Bessie Awards.^[16]

Filmography

Features

• Yes Sir, That's My Baby (1947)
• On blue blood the gentry Town (1948)
• Toast of New Orleans (1948)
• Jerry Gray and the Buckle of Today (1948)
• Let's Dance (1949)
• Annie Get Your Gun (1949)
• An Indweller in Paris (1950)
• Singin' In Say publicly Rain (1950)
• Rainbow Round My Shoulder (1951)
• Five Thousand 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 the Dance (1956)
• Bela Player Meets the Brooklyn Gorilla (1956)
• Ten Commandments (1956)
• Exorcism (1967)

Stage productions

• Anything Goes, 1948, performer, the Greek Dramaturgy, Los Angeles, CA.
• New Moon, 1949, performer, the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• Girl Crazy, 1949, trouper, the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• Annie Get Your Gun, 1951, performer, the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
• Look, That's Life, 1952, assistant choreographer to Nick Fortress, Las Palmas Theater, Los Angeles, CA.
• Happy Hunting, 1956, performer, Grade, New York, NY
• Whoop-Up, 1958, second choreographer, performer, Broadway, New Royalty, N.Y.
• The Happy Time, 1959, helper choreographer, performer, Broadway, New Royalty, NY
• Carousel, 1960, performer, choreographer, Objectivity Library Theater, New York, N.Y.
• Can-Can, 1960, choreographer, Charlotte Summer Short-lived, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Brigadoon, 1960, choreographer, performer, Charlotte Summer Theater, Metropolis, North Carolina
• Let it Ride, 1961, assistant choreographer, performer, Broadway, Additional York, N.Y.

See also

References

External links