Our faculty spotlight this week is on Dr. Dorothy Graves. Dorothy works with Institute students on dance and movement. We are incredibly privileged to have someone of the caliber of Dr. Graves working with our young people. She was trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theatre by Dot Callanen, Manolo Agullo (both of Little Rock, AR) and Luigi Faccuito (New York, NY) – the “Luigi” for whom the dance style is named. In addition to her skills as a dancer, Dorothy has worked as a model, commercial radio talent, and is a trained coloratura soprano. She has been seen in nearly 50 plays, musicals, operas or dance productions in Central Arkansas and has appeared as a dancer or actor in several commercials and movies including the Oscar nominated “21 Grams”. She has been teaching and choreographing for over 25 years. And if that weren’t enough, she works as a Research Assistant Professor in the Hematology/Oncology Division at UAMS and hosts a monthly radio show called “Science Café Little Rock on KUAR FM 89.1 – the local NPR affiliate. In the upcoming Institute opera performance, students will be performing a “Luigi” style jazz dance to “Don’t Get Around Much Any More” (Music by Duke Ellington, Lyrics by Bob Russell – with Gene Harris on piano). “Writers have labelled Luigi, An Ambassador of Jazz, A Pioneer, The Pied Piper, A Body Doctor but mostly, The Innovator. Dance historians have defined his style as classic jazz, sophisticated, elegant, and even liquid fire. The exercise routine he created for his own rehabilitation after a devastating accident became the worlds first complete technique for learning jazz dance. Luigis talents and perseverance have given him the opportunity to work in every part of show business, from burlesque to Hollywood musicals, Broadway and beyond. He received the professional nickname Luigi from Gene Kelly.” From an article in Dance Teacher Magazine
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 15:09:00 +0000
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