OUR MISSION

WHO WE ARE

Eisenhower Dance Detroit, a non-profit 501(c)3 performing arts organization, serves the community in two capacities…the professional company that performs locally and tours nationally and internationally as a global ambassador for contemporary dance in Detroit and the School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit at the Maggie Allesee Studios for Dance and Arts Innovation training the next generation of dance artists in an inclusive and supportive environment.

THE PROFESSIONAL COMPANY

Moving into its 33rd season as a professional contemporary dance repertory company, Eisenhower Dance Detroit gives life to the work of nationally and internationally known choreographers along with that of its founding artistic director, Laurie Eisenhower, and current artistic director, Stephanie Pizzo. This year, Ms. Pizzo leads EDD into its 7th season under her artistic guidance following Ms. Eisenhower's retirement in 2017. The company continues its artistic mission through collaborations with artists across genres including film directors, composers, visual designers, and musicians. Recent collaborators have included film creative Zachariah Hagy and electro-pop violin band, Nuclassica. EDD also engages in collaborations with arts organizations including the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, the Rackham Symphony Choir, Detroit Opera, the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, The Toledo Opera, and the Detroit Institute of Arts to name a few. Since its inception, Eisenhower Dance Detroit has grown from a small pick-up company into an eleven dancer roster employing seven professional company dancers and four apprentices. These artists have joined the EDD family from regions across the country. As the company’s mission states, Eisenhower Dance Detroit strives “to be a professional repertory company that, through outstanding performances and educational services, strives to deepen the understanding and appreciation of contemporary dance regionally, nationally, and internationally and to reflect on and explore issues of social significance.” Ms. Pizzo continues to expand the company’s innovative style and artistic vision while still honoring the legacy of Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s founder.

Considered one of the finest contemporary dance companies in the Midwest, EDD has been hailed for its artistry from sources including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Hour Magazine, and Detroit Free Press. Eisenhower Dance Detroit presents an annual Detroit Metro performance series and tours nationally and internationally. In 2015, 2017, and 2018, EDD was featured at the Ladek Zdroj International Dance Festival in Poland and Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2019, the company performed to a standing ovation at the iconic dance mecca, Jacob’s Pillow, in Beckett, Massachusetts. The company has performed works by choreographers Hope Boykin, Marc Brew, Tamisha Guy, Norbert De La Cruz III, Maleek Washington, James Gregg and Rauf Yasif, Micaela Taylor, Nicolo Fonte, Edgar Zendejas, Lar Lubovitch, Ron de Jesus, and Darrell Grand Moultrie, to name a few. This season, EDD welcomes Joshua Peugh and Tess Voelker for choreographic residencies with the company.

EDD has also produced several evening-length touring productions including “ARC”, a dramatic and highly visual look at labeling and stereotyping; “The Rite of Spring” set to Igor Stravinsky’s iconic score; and “The Light Show” which pairs four choreographers with four lighting designers for a visually stunning evening of dance. During the pandemic, EDD pivoted to offering virtual dance experiences highlighted by a major dance for film collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Art and Zazu Productions. “The Five Tangos,” an original production first conceived for the stage, was scheduled to premiere at the DIA in November 2020. The collaborators reimagined the project for film and utilized four iconic metro Detroit locations for the setting of each tango. The film premiered online in December, 2021 and was selected as the winner of BEST EXPERIMENTAL film, 2022 Dancecentric Film Festival (Florida); semi-finalist, 2022 Inspired Dance Film Festival (Australia); and featured online in Dance Magazine’s “Friday Film Break.”

THE SCHOOL OF EISENHOWER DANCE DETROIT AT THE MAGGIE ALLESEE STUDIOS FOR DANCE AND ARTS INNOVATION

According to our mission statement: “The School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit seeks to provide the highest quality dance education for students of all ages and ability levels through a personalized approach aligned with the student’s individual goals. At the School of EDD, we seek to create an inclusive community where students gain an understanding and appreciation for the art of dance, develop a skill set to participate in creating that art, support one another in the process, and grow self-confidence and life skills to go forth into the world as well-rounded people and good citizens.”

Thanks to a major gift from the late Maggie Allesee, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Michigan’s premier professional contemporary dance company, opened a new, state-of-the-art 11,800sq foot facility for the operations of the company and our school in November, 2022. Marking its 28th year of operation, the School of EDD sets an unsurpassed standard for outstanding dance education. What sets the School of EDD apart from other dance training centers is the fact that the professional company is intricately involved in working with the students. EDD dancers direct student companies, teach classes, mentor, and choreograph on the students in solo and ensemble works. Our students learn directly from professional dancers currently working in the field!

Additional teaching artists round out the faculty at the School of EDD. These artists are carefully selected for their ability to not only teach dance technique but also to nurture and support our students on their journey as artists and individuals learning and growing into their unique identities. Our students become a part of a supportive, inclusive community within the School. EDD Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo, has worked within the organization for all of its 33 years of existence beginning as a company dancer herself, serving as Assistant Artistic Director, and then moving into the role of Artistic Director 7 years ago when founder, Laurie Eisenhower retired. Pizzo has spent considerable time in collaboration with the EDD dancers, School directors, and teaching artists to develop a curriculum at the School designed to build strong, well-rounded dancers in a safe and healthy way.