U.P.rootEDD:

A reimaginEDD week of dancing, grounding and self-care

August 2-9, 2025
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts in Houghton, MI

Tuition: $700 with optional additional activities package add on $120

Experience the breathtaking natural beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while receiving some of the best instruction in the country in this reimaginEDD program!

Recharge your creativity. Rediscover yourself and your passions. Reignite your inner spark.

Acceptance into U.P.rootEDD is by audition ONLY. Click HERE for audition dates and requirements.

Ages 14+
Intermediate division/Advanced division

Eisenhower Dance Detroit is U.P.rooting and partnering with the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts in breathtaking Houghton, Michigan to offer one week of intensive training by the company’s artistic leadership and professional dancers. Held on the campus of Michigan Technological University, dancers from all over the country are invited to enjoy the beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while receiving some of the best instruction in the country.

The program will feature:

Classes in a variety of styles and disciplines
- Ballet, contemporary, jazz, partnering, contemporary ballet, alignment, EDD repertory, choreography, etc.
- Beach yoga, outdoor ropes courses, hikes, paddle boarding, guided improvisation by campfire, journaling and so much more!
Opportunities and free time to explore the beauty of the upper peninsula.
A family friendly summer vacation experience!

The program will close with a culminating performance and reception showcasing the intensive participants.

Lodging accommodations provided for an additional fee. Dancers under 18 years of age will be assigned a chaperone.

Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Photo courtesy of Michigan Technological University

Houghton, Michigan

Houghton, Michigan

U.P.rootEDD FACULTY & STAFF

Click on the “+” to read about each member of our U.P.rootEDD faculty!

Lillie Hamilton grew up in Kalamazoo, MI and graduated cum laude from Oakland University in 2018 with a BFA in Dance. While at OU, she received the Outstanding Dance Performance MaTilDa award and studied dance abroad in Berlin, Germany at the Tanzfabrik and the Freie Universität. She performed works by acclaimed choreographers such as Loni Landon, Stephanie Martinez, Stefanie Batten Bland, and Laurie Eisenhower. During her senior year at OU, Ms. Hamilton apprenticed with Eisenhower Dance Detroit. She has also trained with various professional companies at their workshops including DIAVOLO LA, Thodos Dance Chicago, Strictly Seattle, and National Choreographers Initiative. She was the recipient of the 2019 Monticello Choreography Award from Regional Dance America for her work titled “River” performed by Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s Youth Ensemble. She has also presented her work at Youth America Grand Prix along with various other competitions and intensives. In 2021, Ms. Hamilton choreographed a trio on the EDD professional company titled “Have You Had Enough?” This is her 7th season with Eisenhower Dance Detroit.

Karina Johnson started ballet at the age of four in Irvine, California, and was trained by such accomplished teachers as Charles Maple, Amanda McKerrow, and John Gardner from American Ballet Theatre, as well as Evelyn Cisneros from San Francisco Ballet. She attended ABT, Boston Ballet, and American Academy of Ballet summer intensives throughout her years of training, as well as competed in the Youth of America Grand Prix competition for five consecutive years. Starting in 2007, Karina worked on a degree at The University of Utah as well as guested with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s The Nutcracker for three years. In her senior year of college she became a trainee with Ballet West, performing as a supplemental corps de ballet dancer. Karina graduated in 2010 with a BFA in Ballet, and afterwards spent a year as an apprentice at Smuin Ballet in San Francisco before moving to join the Sacramento Ballet. There she had the privilege of performing in such renowned ballets as Ron Cunningham’s The Great Gatsby, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carmina Burana, Rite of Spring, Cinderella, and The Firebird, as well as Trey McIntyre’s Wild Sweet Love, and George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, Who Cares?, Rubies, and the First Regiment Lead in Stars and Stripes. One of the highlights of Karina’s career was performing the first act Pas de Trois, and Cygnettes in Swan Lake, one of the hardest and most rewarding ballets to perform. After retiring from her career with the Sacramento Ballet in 2015, Karina helped found the dancer-run company Capital Dance Project, choreographing, performing, and organizing their summer performance series. After eight years of dancing professionally, and 5 more of helping run a project-based company, she decided it was time to pass on her love and knowledge of dance to the next generation… bringing her to NMU! Karina and her husband Iver, who was also a professional dancer with the Sacramento Ballet, moved to Marquette in May 2020 to pursue new career paths, be close to family, and start a family of their own. While not teaching ballet, Karina spends her time with her baby girl Juniper, and on the side painting and selling large abstract paintings at art festivals and shows.
Class Description: Gaga Improvisation
Gaga is a movement language developed by Ohad Naharin, Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. It is often used as a way to develop a dancer’s improvisation skills in movement. Dancers should enter the class with a willingness to let go of any inhibitions and judgment, whether of themselves or others. After class, dancers should leave feeling open, free, and more comfortable with self-expression.

Jill Grundstrom is Artistic Director, Assistant Department Head, and an Assistant Professor in Northern Michigan University’s Department of Theatre and Dance. She holds a B.S. from NMU in Secondary Education with majors in English and French, a M.A. in Dance Education from New York University, and an Ed.S. from NMU in Educational Leadership. Jill is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Dance Education with a concentration in Dance Science at Columbia University. She is certified in the Luigi Jazz Technique, American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, is a Certified FLX Conditioning Specialist, and a Hamrick Method Master Trainer. Jill has choreographed over 30 full-length musical and dance productions in New York City, Los Angeles, Italy, and in the Upper Peninsula, including a full-length, original ballet, East of the Sun, West of the Moon (NMU). She also choreographed an independent feature-length film, Our State Fair. She has previously worked with Superior Arts Youth Theatre, the National Dance Education Organization, American Ballet Theatre, and Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. Jill’s current research is focused on the bio-psycho-social aspects of injury recovery in collegiate dancers. Related interests include leadership preparation and practice in dance and dance education.
Class Offerings: Hamrick Method
The Hamrick Method is an expert and specialized elite training program designed to improve flexibility and functional strength tailored for ballet technique while addressing common alignment issues and injury prevention. Why wait for injury and always be rehabbing back to your previous state? Instead, implement a program that prevents injury by addressing alignment, strength, and mobility so you can reach your full potential.

Isabella Varon graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2020 where she received her BFA in Dance with a concentration in ballet. During her time at Marymount, under the direction of Katie Langan, she performed works by Kyle Abraham, Adam Barruch, Michael Thomas, and Breton Tyner-Bryan. Her additional summer training includes Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, American Ballet Theatre, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She recently performed with Jodie Randolph Dance for Michigan Dance Council and Lindsay Grymes at the Steps on Broadway Performance Lab. In addition to performance, Ms. Varon has a passion for teaching. She is the Associate Artistic Director of Young Dancers Initiative and the Assistant Company Director at Viva Dance Co. where she leads weekly ballet, contemporary, improvisation, and composition classes. She is on faculty at RELEASE Detroit, and guest instructs at various dance programs in Metro Detroit.

Alex Hlavaty graduated with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University in May, 2015. He studied in New York City with Gibney Dance and in Montréal with O Vertigo and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal before joining Eisenhower Dance Detroit. He is currently in his ninth season dancing with EDD, where he has performed and taught master classes nationally and internationally. He has set excerpts of EDD repertory on high school and university students at summer intensives, workshops, and master classes. Mr. Hlavaty is also an avid choreographer and writer. His choreography has been performed in festivals, intensives, and competitions. He has also created two works on EDD’s professional company. His poetry has been published in the literary journal The Laureate, 14th Edition, and he has written for DancePlug online as a resource for dance students, professionals, and educators. He is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) Junior, Senior, and Advanced program, and strives to use PBT fundamentals to bring the best instruction to his students.

ImmersEDD Intern
Ashley Schrader is a current senior at The University of Arizona double majoring in Dance and Business Management graduating May 2024. Ashley has performed in numerous works featuring the lead female in Nevermore by Thang Dao, the “Lady in White” in Diversion of Angels by Martha Graham, and “I Had a Dream” solo in Company B by Paul Taylor. She has worked with many choreographers such as Kayla Farrish, Frank Chavez, Chris Compton, Alysia Johnson, Duane Cyrus, Jason Hortin, and Gabriel Speiller. She has trained at several intensives including Hubbard Street “Create” intensive, Brucewood Dance Company Winter intensive, Limón Dance Company, Chuthis, and more. Ashley is very excited about this opportunity to work with Eisenhower this summer!

Tara Charvat graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2018 with a BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University. While attending WMU, she performed works by renowned choreographers such as Paul Taylor, Anthony Tudor, Lew Christensen, Frank Chavez and Brian Enos. She attended summer programs with New Dialect, chuthis., BODYTRAFFIC LA, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Big Muddy Dance Company and DanceWorks Chicago. In 2018, she received a scholarship to the Lou Conte Dance Studio where she attended weekly class with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago artists and presented her own choreography. In 2019, Ms. Charvat joined NewDances, a collaboration between Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago. For the 2019-2020 season, she apprenticed with Eisenhower Dance Detroit and, in the Fall of 2020, was promoted to company member. She is also a teaching artist for the School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit as well as other studios in the metro Detroit area. She proudly serves as the Assistant Artistic Director of Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s Youth Ensemble, as well as the director of EDDYE’s annual concert, Dance Mosaics. Ms. Charvat frequently choreographs around metroDetroit and presents solo choreography each year at the Youth America Grand Prix competition.

Originally from Miami, FL, Meagan Cubides began her formal training at the Miami City Ballet School and later New World School of the Arts High School. In 2019, she graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. Over the course of her training, she has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Francesca Harper, Jamar Roberts, Adam Barruch and Sidra Bell among others. During her time in college, she danced professionally with Ballet Hispanico Dos for their 2017/18 season. She also studied at various summer programs such as Arts Umbrella Dance, Bodytraffic, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Ballet Austin. Ms. Cubides most recently danced for four seasons with Visceral Dance Chicago. In addition, she was a guest artist with Symbiosis Arts andFreckled Sky Inc. She is thrilled to be joining Eisenhower Dance Detroit.

NewDANCEfest and U.P.rootEDD Director, EDD Director of Operations
Ms. Chirio-Humenay graduated with a BA in Dance from Oakland University and joined EDD as a company dancer in 2012. From 2012-2020, she had the pleasure of touring, teaching, and performing with EDD. In 2018, through EDD’s Beyond the Stage Initiative, she was promoted to Company Manager and currently serves as EDD’s Director of Operations. Wearing many hats within the organization, Ms. Chirio-Humenay teaches at The School of EDD and directs several of the projects and programming EDD has to offer including the annual intensives: NewDANCEfest, The EDD Intensive, and the Winter Intensive. She is responsible for national booking and coordination of in-studio workshops, known as The EDD Experience, as well as educational and choreographic residency programs for school systems from elementary to college level. Ms. Chirio-Humenay also manages EDD’s EducatEDD programs which provide high quality educational materials and resources from knowledgeable and experienced professionals to the public and the dance community. A few of these programs include EDD’s monthly Pro-Tips, High School Dance Table Talks, and most recently An Insider’s Guide to Contemporary Dance online course.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo, joined the company as a founding member in 1991. At various points in her dance career with EDD, she served as Resident Choreographer, Associate Artistic Director, and Co-Artistic Director. Ms. Pizzo now leads the company into her 6th season as Artistic Director. She focuses on collaborating with the highest quality national and international artists and creating strong ties within the metro Detroit community through the art of dance. Her recent dance for film work, The Five Tangos, inspired by the music of Astor Piazzolla and created in collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Art and Zazu Creative Studio, featured each contemporary tango danced in an iconic Detroit location.

Ms. Pizzo also believes in educational programming and youth mentorship as key tools to develop community connection. She works to use the art of contemporary dance both as a means to present beautiful, athletic, and engaging repertory and as a vehicle to reflect on and explore issues of social significance. She has set her choreography at Illinois State University, Texas A & M University, and Wesleyan University, along with having staged numerous works by Laurie Eisenhower on companies and universities throughout the United States. Her work has been presented in Tel Aviv as part of Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s production of The Light Show, at international dance festivals in Poland, and most recently on the Inside/Out Stage at Jacob’s Pillow. A native of Clinton Township, Michigan, Ms. Pizzo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Oakland University. In 2009, she received a Distinguished Alumni or “MaTilDa” award from the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. She served as a special lecturer in dance at Oakland University for 12 years. Ms. Pizzo set new choreography for Texas Christian University and Texas A & M University in February, 2022.

Nirvan Singh attended Western Michigan University on full academic scholarship as a Medallion Scholar. He graduated in 2021 with a BA in Dance and a minor in Business Management. At WMU, he performed in diverse works curated by WMU’s dance department faculty including an excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake as Prince Siegfried, An Evolutionary Story written in the East Sea, Wingless Angels, and many more. He also performed in guest works by renowned choreographers including Paul Taylor, Aszure Barton, and George Balanchine. While attending the BalletMet Company Rep Week 2019, he danced works by choreographers Edwaard Liang, Gustavo Ramirez, and Justin Peck.

Following graduation, Mr. Singh danced as an Apprentice with Eisenhower Dance Detroit and taught at the School of EDD. Throughout EDD’s 31st season, he had the opportunity to perform in newly created works by choreographers Maleek Washington, Norbert De La Cruz III, WeWolf, Stephanie Pizzo, and Laurie Eisenhower, as well as present his choreography at the Youth America Grand Prix. After a year away, dancing in numerous freelance projects and performing as a Guest Artist for Wellspring/ Cori Terry & Dancers, Mr. Singh is delighted to return to Eisenhower Dance Detroit as a Company dancer and Teaching Artist at the School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit.

U.P.rootEDD 2023

Scroll through the gallery below to gain a feel for the U.P.rootEDD experience and relive the excitement of our first year bringing our signature summer programming to Michigan’s scenic Upper Peninsula.