History of jazz dance timeline

Born to Italian immigrant parents in Steubenville, Ohio in , Luigi got his start singing and dancing on street corners. It started as a way to earn money for his family after his father died in a car accident in Luigi went on to win amateur contests, was named the lead singer of the regional Bernie Davis Orchestra, and became a touring vaudeville performer — all before the age of Luigi, then 21, was thrown from the passenger seat of a car that skidded and hit a telephone pole on a rainy Los Angeles street.

Click To Tweet. Three years passed as Luigi created a process of stretching, breathing and movement that gradually led him to be able to stand at the barre and, eventually, move completely on his own.

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As he went on to perform in the chorus of some Hollywood films, his stretching regimen caught the eye of other performers — and the Luigi technique took off. In addition to receiving numerous awards and establishing a long list of credits in Hollywood and on Broadway, Luigi established dance schools in both Los Angeles and New York. His students included everyone from the beginning dancer to dance icons such as Liza Minnelli, Alvin Ailey and Twyla Tharp, to name a few.

Whether seeking beginner classes, exercise, rehabilitation or professional training, dancer after dancer was impacted by the man said to have created the first codified jazz technique — and his legacy is sure to live on for years to come. But when I left the barre, I was in trouble. My technique addresses how to stand up without the barre. It teaches the body how to support itself and how to use muscles evenly.

Visit the Luigi Jazz Centre website. Elizabeth is a dance minor and journalism major at Southern Illinois University — Edwardsville. A dance student since the age of six, she has danced in the studio and on dance team, as well as at Radio City Music Hall as part of the Rockette Summer Intensive.