Santo J. Giglio Award in Choreography

Santo J. Giglio Award in Choreography

Mary Ann Giglio and her family established the Santo J. Giglio Award in Choreography at SUNY Brockport in memory of her husband Santo J. Giglio to celebrate his career and accomplishments. The award recognizes an outstanding student in Brockport’s Department of Dance.

Mr. Giglio, who taught at Brockport from 1971 to 2003, was an associate professor, dancer, choreographer, advisor, mentor, colleague, and friend. He began his career in education as a speech education major at Louisiana State University and then transferred to the University of Southwestern Louisiana where he majored in dance. He earned his master’s in dance at the University of California at Los Angeles, and he taught at Arizona State University and the University of Rochester. He joined a resident dance company in Rochester, and when it dissolved, he began his career with Brockport.

In addition to teaching such classes as techniques, tap, and choreography, Mr. Giglio was the artistic director of DANSCORE, a performance showcase founded in 1985 by a collective of faculty choreographers and produced by the Department of Dance. He also did choreography for a number of musicals presented by the Department of Theatre, including Carousel, Paint Your Wagon, and Pippin.

Although he was planning to continue his service to Brockport for the 2003-04 academic year, he passed away in August 2003. Mr. Giglio was a gifted choreographer and well-respected teacher whose creative energy was appreciated by his colleagues and audiences, noted Sharon Vasquez, Dean of the School of Arts and Performances.

Qualified applicants for the Santo J. Giglio Award in Choreography must be undergraduate students majoring in the Department of Dance at Brockport, who demonstrate academic excellence, an original, creative voice, and a commitment to the in-depth investigation of the choreographic practice.