▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Queens , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Italian ▁imm igr ants ▁E ster ▁( ▁P esi ri ) ▁and ▁Em ilio ▁Ar d ol ino . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁actor ▁in ▁off - B road way ▁produ ctions , ▁but ▁soon ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁production ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁business . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁he ▁founded ▁Com pton - Ar d ol ino ▁Films ▁with ▁Gard ner ▁Com pton . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Ar d ol ino ▁worked ▁for ▁P BS . ▁His ▁profiles ▁of ▁d anc ers ▁and ▁ch ore ograph ers ▁for ▁their ▁Dance ▁in ▁America ▁and ▁Live ▁from ▁Lincoln ▁Center ▁series ▁earned ▁him ▁ 1 7 ▁Em my ▁Award ▁nomin ations . ▁He ▁won ▁the ▁Em my ▁three ▁times . ▁ ▁Ar d ol ino ▁won ▁an ▁Academy ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Document ary ▁Fe ature ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁movie ▁He ▁M akes ▁Me ▁Fe el ▁Like ▁Dan cin '. ▁He ▁found ▁commercial ▁success ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁hit ▁D irty ▁Dan cing , ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁make ▁several ▁other ▁main stream ▁films . ▁ ▁Ar d ol ino ▁died ▁in ▁California ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁of ▁comp lications ▁from ▁A ID S . ▁His ▁last ▁films , ▁The ▁N ut cra cker ▁( based ▁on ▁George ▁Bal anch ine ' s ▁New ▁York ▁City