JAZZ DANCE PROJECT
American Jazz Dance from New York to Italy and Around the World
(Keep scrolling for workshop flyers and announcements)
American Jazz. Italian-American Legacy. Global Movement.
Jazz Dance Project is the international jazz dance initiative of Danielle Marie Fusco, bringing the rich tradition of American jazz dance into studios, schools, universities, festivals, cultural institutions, and performance spaces throughout New York, Italy, and beyond.
A professional dancer, choreographer, performing artist, and educator with more than two decades of experience, Danielle combines extensive professional training with a deep commitment to the preservation and evolution of the American jazz dance tradition.
At the heart of Jazz Dance Project is the legacy of Eugene Louis “Luigi” Faccuito, one of the most influential figures in American jazz dance history. Danielle's work honors that legacy while creating opportunities for dancers of today to experience jazz as a technique, an art form, a cultural history, and a means of personal expression.
Upcoming Workshops
THE LUIGI LEGACY
Luigi Faccuito was an Italian-American dancer, choreographer, and teacher whose approach fundamentally influenced the development of American jazz dance.
The son of Italian immigrants, Luigi developed his technique following a devastating automobile accident that left him with significant physical limitations. Through his own rehabilitation and determination, he developed a system emphasizing alignment, balance, core strength, coordination, breath, opposition, musicality, and continuous movement.
Rather than simply teaching dancers how to execute steps, Luigi taught them how to understand movement from within the body.
His philosophy became famously associated with:
“Never Stop Moving.”
For Luigi, movement represented much more than physical action. It embodied resilience, discipline, musicality, artistry, and the continuous evolution of the dancer.
The Luigi technique incorporates a distinctive combination of ballet-based alignment and jazz movement, encouraging dancers to develop strength without unnecessary tension, control without rigidity, and precision while maintaining fluidity and individuality.
His influence can be found throughout generations of dancers in Broadway, film, television, concert dance, musical theatre, and professional jazz dance education.
A LUIGI LEGACY
Danielle Marie Fusco brings more than 20 years of professional experience in dance, choreography, performance, education, and multidisciplinary movement to this Jazz Dance Project.
Her extensive training includes Luigi Jazz Technique, classical ballet, modern dance, Martha Graham Technique, musical theatre, and professional performance.
She is a Certified Luigi Jazz Technique Master Teacher and has continued her study and professional relationship with the Luigi tradition through multiple generations of Luigi educators and performers.
Danielle has also performed in Luigi Legacy performances under the direction of Francis J. Roach, participating directly in the preservation and presentation of Luigi's artistic legacy.
In addition, she is a Certified Luigi Jazz Teacher through the Jazz Dance Legacy program under the direction of Joey Doucette.
These experiences place Danielle within a continuing lineage of dancers and educators dedicated to keeping Luigi's work alive while allowing it to evolve through contemporary dancers.
GUEST ARTIST & SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
Jazz Dance Project extends far beyond the weekly studio class.Danielle Marie Fusco is available as a guest artist, performer, educator, choreographer, and lecturer for schools, universities, dance companies, festivals, cultural organizations, theaters, private events, and international programs.
Guest artist engagements can be customized and may include:
Guest Artist Performances
Jazz Dance Master Classes
Guest Workshops & Intensives
Lecture-Demonstrations
Jazz Dance History Lectures
The Luigi Legacy Presentations
Choreography & Repertoire
Artist Residencies
School & University Programs
Professional Dancer Training
Italian-American Cultural Programs
Festival Programming
Special Gala Performances
Guest Artist Appearances
International Dance Exchanges
Programs can range from a traditional jazz technique class to a complete performance, lecture-demonstration, workshop, or customized educational experience combining dance, history, storytelling, music, cultural heritage, and live performance.
For Italian institutions and international audiences, Danielle offers a particularly unique perspective as an Italian-American professional artist and educator, connecting the history of American jazz dance with the Italian-American heritage of Luigi and the continuing relationship between New York and Italy.
LUIGI & ITALY
The connection between Luigi and Italy is an important part of the story of Jazz Dance Project.
Luigi's Italian-American heritage was not merely a part of his family history. His technique also became part of the development of jazz dance education in Italy.
Luigi traveled to Italy to teach and gave classes and master classes in programs including those associated with Renato Greco in Rome and Amalfi. His teaching in Italy helped establish a direct connection between the American jazz dance tradition and Italian dance education.
Italian dancer and choreographer Renato Greco studied with Luigi in New York and received Luigi's authorization to teach his method. Greco subsequently became an important figure in the development of jazz dance education in Italy.
In 1987, the Italian edition of Danza Jazz: La Tecnica di Luigi was published in Rome, further documenting and disseminating Luigi's approach within Italy.
This creates a remarkable cultural exchange:
Italy → Italian-American Luigi → New York → American Jazz Dance → Italy → The World
Jazz Dance Project continues that conversation today.
PERFORMANCE & LECTURE PROGRAMS
Danielle's Jazz Dance Project programming can be presented in a variety of formats depending upon the needs of the host organization.
The Luigi Legacy
A lecture-demonstration exploring Luigi's life, technique, philosophy, Italian-American heritage, and influence on American jazz dance.
American Jazz: From Broadway to the World
An educational and performance-based exploration of the development of American jazz dance and its influence internationally.
Luigi Jazz Technique Master Class
A focused technical class exploring the principles, vocabulary, alignment, musicality, and movement philosophy of the Luigi tradition.
Jazz Dance & Italian-American Cultural Heritage
A program examining the cultural exchange between Italian-American artists, American dance, and the development of jazz dance in Italy.
Guest Artist Performance
A professional dance performance suitable for festivals, theaters, cultural events, galas, conferences, and special engagements.
Programs may also be combined to create a performance + lecture + master class experience.
NEW YORK TO ITALY: BRINGING AMERICAN JAZZ DANCE WORLDWIDE
New York has long been a center of American jazz dance and the home of Luigi's teaching legacy. Jazz Dance Project builds on that tradition while creating a bridge between New York, Italy, and the international dance community.
As an Italian-American artist, Danielle sees dance as a living expression of migration, identity, cultural exchange, ancestry, and artistic legacy. Luigi's journey reflects that exchange: the son of Italian immigrants who helped shape an American dance tradition that ultimately traveled back to Italy and continues through generations of dancers and teachers.
Danielle carries that lineage forward through performance, education, and international engagement.
From the New York studio to the Italian stage, Jazz Dance Project celebrates the roots of American jazz while allowing the tradition to evolve through new dancers, cultures, and generations.
Honor the tradition. Understand the technique. Find your own voice. Never Stop Moving.
