The Luigi Technique

Film and stage dancer Eugene Louis Facciuto ("Luigi"), created the first codified jazz dance technique in order to help himself recover from debilitating injuries suffered in a car accident. His exercises became popular among his colleagues on film sets and backstage, and Luigi soon turned to teaching full time.
​Luigi taught and refined his technique for decades, in New York and all over the world. Among his students were Susan Stroman, Maria Calegari, Loretta Abbot, Ben Vereen, and Twyla Tharp.
The technique is a rigorous yet gentle series of exercises that builds precision, control, musicality, and grace. As Bob Fosse noted, "A Luigi trained dancer is always dedicated and well-trained." Any serious student of dance should be familiar with the Luigi technique.  
​Today, his legacy lives on in the work of his protege, Francis Roach, as well as that of the many Luigi teachers across the globe who studied with Luigi and with Francis. 

About me:

 I have been teaching the Luigi technique since 2022, and hold certificates from Francis Roach's Luigi Teacher Intensives in 2023 and 2025. My connection with Luigi goes way back. I arrived in New York City after high school, with very little dance technique. Through studying with brilliant teachers, including Luigi, I was able to work consistently as a dancer in a highly competitive world (including film, music video, Off-Broadway, and concert dance in venues such as Lincoln Center and the Joyce Theater).
 I was fortunate to have studied directly with Luigi, as well as with his protege, Francis Roach. After a long hiatus from dance, the technique helped me return to teaching, choreography and performing. 
I have taught the Luigi technique to beginner through professional level dancers In New Mexico, including at the Public Academy for the Performing Arts (PAPA), as well as ballet to teens in New Jersey and Nova Scotia.