Program Directors

  • EDD Director of Operations and Intensives Director

    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 several hats within the organization, Ms. Chirio-Humenay teaches at The School of EDD and directs several of the projects and programming EDD offers including the annual intensives: NewDANCEfest, U.P.rootEDD, and the EDD 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, An Insider’s Guide to Contemporary Dance online course, and EDD's annual “See and Be Seen” event. 


  • NewDANCEfest Youth Director

    Lisa Johns began her dance training at age 3. She received her early training from Joanne Zavisa at Joanne’s Dance Extension in Canton, MI. After graduating high school Lisa continued her dance training at Oakland University. While studying at OU, Lisa had the privilege of working with many respected choreographers including Meg Paul, Laurie Eisenhower, Stephanie Pizzo, Ali Woerner and Thayer Jonutz. Lisa was the first student to produce her own independent dance concert, and received her BFA in 2014 after receiving the MaTilDa award in outstanding choreography. After graduation Lisa spent time touring with NUVO Dance convention and has since continued to teach dance throughout all of Metro Detroit, being sought out for her specific teaching skills in acrobatics. She is currently working toward her Master’s of Arts from University of Michigan in nonprofit management.