LET’S DANCE!

LEADERSHIP

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, LINDSAY CHIRIO-HUMENAY

Ms. Chirio-Humenay (she/her) 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.

TORRI JOHNSON, LEAD TEACHER

Torri Johnson is an Oakland University graduate with a BFA in dance and holds certifications in Acro Arts and with USAG. She began her training at Motor City Dance Factory at just 3 years old, where she was able to cultivate a love for dance and dance education. In high school, Torri was a part of their Creative and Performing Arts program where she grew a love for choreographing and was recognized for her performance quality. Torri’s love for dance and dance education continues to sore as she trains and expands her worldview in many different settings, sharing her experience and knowledge with all of her students. Currently, Torri is working on obtaining her master’s in athletic training in hopes to teach her students more about body awareness and injury prevention as they continue their own athletic journeys.

ERICA CROWTHER

Erica Crowther grew up in Pretoria, South Africa, where she started dancing at the age of five. She completed The Royal Academy of Dance and The South African Body of Dance curriculums. During this time she was also a member of the Youth Dance Company of Tshwane where she worked herself up to senior soloist. She also had the privilege of training at the American Academy of Ballet on a scholarship. After graduating high school she was employed as aspirant dancer at Joburg Ballet before furthering her dance education in America. She is currently in her senior year at Eastern Michigan University double majoring in dance and psychology on both dance and academic scholarships. She spent her summer holiday volunteering as a dance teacher for a non-profit organization, Imibala Trust in Somerset West, South Africa. She is looking forward to teaching in the Durfee after school program this year.

OLIVIA SARVELLO

Olivia Sarvello was born and raised in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. She graduated from Indiana University in 2023 with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business. At IU, she performed in works choreographed by Braeden Barnes, Cameron McKinney, Elizabeth Shea, and Evelyn Wang. She also attended summer programs where she trained with Eisenhower Dance Detroit, SALT Contemporary Dance, and BODYTRAFFIC LA. In 2021, she earned her Kane Core Integration Comprehensive Pilates Mat certification. Ms. Sarvello is excited to join EDD as an apprentice and will be teaching at the School of EDD.

JON CHAPEDELAINE

Jon Chapdelaine is a Senior building his BFA Dance Major degree at Wayne State University. With a passion to artistically create, expression has taken many forms from dance, visual arts, and construction. Jon has trained on scholarship with Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Grand Rapids Ballet, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Wayne State University and BAIRA MVMNT PHLOSPHY. Contemporary partnering has always been a backbone of his dancer studies, bringing him to New York for YAGP Finals, a feature of his co-choreographed work on Detroit Public Television, and performance with BAIRA MVMNT PHLOSPHY at CPR in New York. Jon has just finished development of his latest dance film in relation to his Senior Capstone Project titled “Soul: That which breathes”