Eugene Louis Faccuito

Luigi died on April 7, 2015, at the age of 90, in his Manhattan home.

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Dance at the 2013 Bessie Awards.

He has been commended for his life's work by three U.S. presidents – Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. He received the "Fred Astaire Award from the Theatre Development Fund, a proclamation for "Luigi Day in New York City" from Mayor Ed Koch, was the grand marshal of the Dance Parade on Broadway in 2008, and an Ohio governor awarded him the Man of the Year in his hometown. In 2013 he was honored by Antonio Fini with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Italian International Dance Festival.

Throughout the 2000s, Luigi choreographed and staged numbers for many benefit events, including Michael Zaslow's benefits for A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's disease) on Broadway, the Dance Library of Israel, the New York Jazz Choreography Project, Dancers Over 40 benefits for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the TranscenDance Group dance company, and the Ailey/Fordham Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Solo Concert.

In 1956, choreographer Alex Romero brought Luigi to New York City to perform on Broadway with Ethel Merman and Fernando Lamas in Happy Hunting. The show brought Luigi to the attention of east coast dancers, and choreographer June Taylor, who invited him to teach at her school. A few months later, to better suit his schedule, he began teaching his own classes. In 1961, Luigi was one of the first teachers hired for Dance Caravan, a yearly summer dance convention troupe. This job brought his teachings and his new technique book - with his philosophy and recorded music for class - to dancers in major cities across America. He remained with the organization and became one of the long-standing teachers until its closing in 2009. In addition to his classes in New York City, dance conventions helped turn Luigi's work into the foundation for jazz dance classes in academic institutions and studios across the United States. He found himself in demand for a wide range of projects, including teaching, choreographing, staging, and touring. He accepted an invitation from Germany to teach at an international workshop which boosted his reputation across Europe. He was invited to work in many more European countries including, England, Italy and France; began teaching master classes at the Radio City Music Hall for the performers; and joined the faculty of the Harkness Ballet School.

In 1949, a talent scout discovered Luigi in a benefit show and brought him to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to audition for On the Town. Gene Kelly was impressed by Luigi's dancing and gave him the job despite his facial paralysis and crossed eyes. This job led to a long friendship, during which Kelly became Luigi's mentor and used him in his other films, such as Singin' in the Rain. He warmed up using his own stretches and strengthening exercises and soon found other performers following him. "Alton encouraged (Luigi) to take up teaching his evolving style", so he began a late afternoon class at Rainbow Studios in 1951.

Conventional therapy at that time did not help Luigi much. To regain control of his body, he started to experiment and design his own stretches. After nine months of self therapy, he returned to Falcon Studios where he trained daily. In 1948, he was hired by Horace Heidt, a popular pianist and big band leader, to choreograph for his Bandwagon tour. A few months later, back in Los Angeles, the three became housemates. It was then that Luigi, with Frontiere's help, coined "5, 6, 7, 8" as a lead-in for when to start dancing. He started to use the phrase around other dancers.

He moved to California, enrolled in his first ballet classes with Bronislava Nijinska, and studied other theatrical forms at Falcon Studios in Hollywood. Three months later, in 1946, he was in a car accident that left him paralyzed on the right side of his body. After awakening months later from a coma, he was told by doctors that he would never walk again.

Eugene Louis Faccuito (March 20, 1925 – April 7, 2015), known professionally as Luigi, was an American jazz dancer, choreographer, teacher, and innovator who created the jazz exercise technique. The Luigi Warm Up Technique is a training program that promotes body alignment, balance, core strength, and "feeling from the inside." It is also used for rehabilitation. This method became the world's first standard technique for teaching jazz and musical theater dance.