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Luigi's Early Life
Born in Steubenville, Ohio, Luigi is the eighth of eleven children of immigrant Italian parents. -
Getting To Learn Perform
At age 13, Eugene replaced the lead singer in the Bernie Davis Orchestra, a local twelve-man band that performed at weddings, school dances, and special events -
War Time Calls
Aged 18, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theater – New Guinea and the Philippines - until the war’s end -
Luigi's Big Break
Gene Kelly noticed Luigi’s dancing and gave him the job despite his facial paralysis and crossed eyes. This job led to a long friendship and Kelly became Luigi’s mentor. He used him in his other films, such as Singin' In The Rain. -
New York, New York
In 1956, choreographer Alex Romero brought Luigi to New York City to perform on Broadway. Luigi also found himself getting many opportunities to teach dance and choreograph for many performances. -
The Ambassador of Jazz
Luigi quickly became well known all over the world for his style of Jazz. Sophisticated and elegant is what people said his classic style was. -
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Success and Career
Luigi's talents and perseverance have given him the opportunity to work in every part of show business, from Hollywood musicals, Broadway and beyond. Performing in Africa, Asia, and all over Europe. -
Adventures in the World
After returning from teaching in Tokyo, Japan, in 1978, Luigi started to teach a second method that he devised. This work concentrates on a set of arm positions which go beyond ballet’s basic five arm positions. These twenty four additional arm placements give jazz dance more patterns, with a unified appearance. He named these arms positions Lurythmics. -
Passing of a Dance Icon
Luigi passed away in New York in April of 2015.
