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Birth
Luigi was the eighth of eleven children in his family. His parents Nicholas and Antonette Savoia were Italian immigrants. -
The Very Beginng
When Luigi was a child his older brother would teach him how to sing and dance. He would then enter contests to win money for their family. When he was 10 he got a job with Ted Lewis to preform as "the shadow" in Lewis's famous piece "Me and My Shadow." -
Drafted
Luigi was drafted to serve in the United States Navy during World War II. -
Gaining Experience
Once the war ended, he moved to California. In Hollywood he enrolled in his first ballet classes with Bronislava Nijinska, and studied other forms of theatre and dance at Falcon Studios. -
Tragedy Strikes
Months after returning from war, Luigi was in a horrible car accident leaving him in a coma and partially paralyzed. When he came out of the coma doctors told him he would never walk again. He eloquently replied "I don't want to walk. I am going to dance." -
Recovery and Development of Luigi's Technique
After the accident, Luigi used different stretches and exercises to find ways to gain back control of his body. After about a year he gained back enough strength and control to start taking classes at Falcon Studios again. -
Big Break
Luigi was asked by a talent scout to audition for MGM's "On The Town", starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. Even though he was still dealing with effects of the accident, he got the job starting an 8 year dance career in over 40 films. A fe of the films Luigi was in: "An American in Paris", "Singin' in the Rain", and "White Christmas." In between filming, he would continue to work on his personalized exercises. -
Broadway Bound
Luigi went to New York City to preform in the Broadway show "Happy Hunting." This helps his career by giving him an opportunity to begin choreographing and assisting. -
"The First World Jazz Dance Center"
After being in several Broadway shows Luigi opened his own school to teach his technique. His school is now called Luigi Jazz Center and classes in his technique are offered there. -
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a-5, 6, 7, 8...
Luigi taught classes just about up until his death. His technique, like Martha Graham's, has a moving from the inside out philosophy. It contains the basics of ballet and moves through jazz rhythms. Luigi also placed great emphasis on building great dancers instead of just choreographing great work. -
Death
Luigi's death was caused by cancer.
