EDD YOUTH ENSEMBLE
ARTISTIC DIRECTION

Get to know our EDDYE directors.

DIRECTORS

  • EDDYE Artistic Director

    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.

  • Assistant Artistic Director

    Ms. Charvat graduated summa cum laude in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts 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, Tara joined NewDances, a collaboration between Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago. For the 2019-2020 season, she apprenticed with Eisenhower Dance Detroit performing works by Stephanie Pizzo, Laurie Eisenhower and BAIRA. In Fall 2020, Tara was promoted to Company Member. Throughout her time with EDD, Ms. Charvat has worked directly with choreographers such as Micaela Taylor, Norbert de la Cruz III, Maleek Washington, James Gregg and Rauf “Rubberlegz” Yasit. She is also a teaching artist for the School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit as well as other studios in the metro Detroit area. Along with presenting choreography at Youth America Grand Prix, she serves as the Assistant Artistic Director for the Eisenhower Dance Detroit Youth Ensemble.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Katy Hall graduated from Oakland University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She received the MaTilDa Award for Outstanding Student Service through the Music, Theatre, and Dance program at O.U. She has also choreographed several pieces for O.U.’s dance company, Oakland Dance Theatre. Ms. Hall is a CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) dance alum and has choreographed many pieces for the dance program at Churchill High School since her graduation in 2003. In 2014, she attended the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum conference where she received her certification. She has been teaching for the School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit since 2006 and also serves as the Special Events Coordinator, Youth America Grand Prix Director, and Student Ambassador Program Director.

Past Guest Choreographers:

2023-24

Seyong Kim
Judy Milner
Meagan Cubides

2022-23

Áine Dorman
Lillie Hamilton
Alex Hlavaty

2021-22

Jonathan Jackson
Kaitlin Arena **Recipient of the RDA Emerging Choreographer Award and Scholarship
Madeline Aldana
Alex Hlavaty