Eugene Louis Facciuto, aka "Luigi", "The Father of American Jazz Dancing", one of Broadway's most beloved choreographers and my beloved teacher, died at the age of 90 on April 11th. He got the nickname Luigi from Gene Kelly who he danced with in the films "Singin' in The Rain" and "An American in Paris". His students included Liza Minnelli, Ben Vereen, Tony Roberts, Robert Morris, John Travolta and Susan Stroman. His jazz warm-up, which is the foundation for so many jazz teachers today, was a direct result of the rehabilitation routine he created after a devastating car accident left him nearly paralyzed. When doctors told him it was likely he'd never walk again, he snapped back "Not only will I walk again, I'm going to dance again!" And boy, did he.
I consider myself truly lucky to have not only studied with Luigi but laughed with him. He had a deliciously bawdy sense of humor. While at NYU, I directed a short documentary shot on 16mm film about his life. Follow the link to the film.
Luigi Film - 8 min. short
https://vimeo.com/124665155
Read The New York Times article about Luigi's life: LUIGI ARTICLE
