Eisenhower Dance Detroit 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 7th 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 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, 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.”
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, Texas Christian 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 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.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Assistant Artistic Director and Former Company Member
Andrew Cribbett, originally from Thomasboro, Illinois, received a full scholarship to The Washington Ballet in Washington D.C. He then attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts to finish his senior year of high school. He joined Eisenhower Dance Detroit in 2011 and retired as a company dancer and Rehearsal Director in 2021. While dancing with the company, Mr. Cribbett toured nationally and internationally both teaching and performing in venues as far as Tel Aviv, Israel. He also had the great pleasure of performing original works by Nicolo Fonte, Gina Patterson, Darrell Grand Moutrie, Edgar Zendejas, Joshua Peugh, Ron De Jesus, among many others. His choreography has received recognition for Top 12 placement at YAGP for solos, small groups, and ensembles. Over the years, Mr. Cribbett has taught and choreographed for several local studios including The School of Eisenhower Dance Detroitand also trains elite level figure skaters in Junior Ice Dance. He is also pursuing a degree in Nursing concurrent with his role of Assistant Artistic Director.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Senior Company Member
Senior Company Member, Tara Charvat, graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Western Michigan University. While attending WMU, Tara 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 and in the Fall of 2020 was promoted to company member. Throughout her time with Eisenhower, Tara has worked directly with choreographers such as Tess Voelker, Micaela Taylor, Tamisha A. Guy, Norbert de la Cruz III, Maleek Washington, Joshua Peugh, James Gregg, Rauf “Rubberlegz” Yasit, Hope Boykin, and Marc Brew. Tara 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 performance concert, Dance Mosaics. Tara choreographs around the Metro-Detroit area and presents solo choreography each year at the Youth America Grand Prix competition.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Company Member
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. This is her second season with Eisenhower Dance Detroit.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Senior Company Member
Lillie Hamilton grew up in Kalamazoo, MI and graduated cum laude from Oakland University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. While at OU, she received the Outstanding Dance Performance MaTilDa award and had the privilege of studying 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 university, Lillie began as an apprentice with Eisenhower Dance Detroit under the direction of Stephanie Pizzo. She also trained with various professional companies at their workshops including DIAVOLO LA, Thodos Dance Chicago, Strictly Seattle, and National Choreographers Initiative. Lillie was the recipient of the Monticello Choreography Award from Regional Dance America for her work titled “River” performed by Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s Youth Ensemble in 2019. She has presented her work at Youth America Grand Prix along with various other competitions and intensives. Lillie had the opportunity to choreograph a trio on the EDD professional company in 2021 titled “Have You Had Enough?” Her favorite memory so far with EDD was their 5-week tour through Alaska in the fall of 2022. Lillie is entering into her 8th season with Eisenhower Dance Detroit.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Senior Company Member
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 tenth 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 bring elements of various cross-training techniques to his performing and teaching philosophy.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Company Member
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Nirvan Singh attended Western Michigan University on a full ride academic scholarship as a Medallion Scholar. He graduated in 2021 with the privilege of performing in works created by choreographers Paul Taylor, Aszure Barton, and George Balanchine, as well as Justin Peck and Edward Liang during his summer at BalletMet Company Rep Week. Following graduation, Mr. Singh danced as a guest artist with Wellspring Cori/Terry & Dancers as well as dancing for two seasons with Eisenhower Dance Detroit where he is currently a company member.
Throughout Eisenhower's two seasons, Nirvan has had the opportunity to perform and tour in works by choreographers Norbert De La Cruz III, Maleek Washington, Tess Voelker, WeWolf (Rauf “Rubberlegz” Yasit & James Gregg), Joshua Peugh, Stephanie Pizzo, and Laurie Eisenhower. Nirvan is also a teaching artist at the School of Eisenhower Dance Detroit as well as other studios in the Metro Detroit area. In addition to teaching and dancing, he enjoys choreographing for projects when the opportunity is available. Nirvan’s work has been showcased at Western Michigan University, Detroit School of Arts, NewDANCEFest, and various Youth America Grand Prix competitions.

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Company Member
A veteran of numerous competitive TV dance shows, Brandon Talbott studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he appeared in work by choreographers Doug Varone, Ashley Lindsey, Juel D. Lane, and Stephanie Martinez, and in the school’s annual production of The Nutcracker. Talbott joined Visceral Dance Chicago in 2021 and began freelance work with AJA Talent, PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, The Candlelight Series, Zikr Dance Ensemble, Freckled Sky, and Symbiosis Arts. In 2023, he moved to Los Angeles to continue training and joined The Klein Collective as well as expanded his teaching horizons and taught weekly classes at Millenium Dance Complex. He now looks forward to this brand-new chapter in Detroit!

Eisenhower Dance Detroit Company Member
Isabella Varon is a professional dancer and dance educator based in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2020, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, with a concentration in ballet. Since joining Eisenhower Dance Detroit as a company member in 2023, she has worked closely with and performed works by Stephanie Pizzo, Tess Voelker, Joshua Peugh, Christian Denice, Tamisha A. Guy, Rauf Yasit and James Gregg, and Norbert De La Cruz III.
In addition to performance, Isabella has a deep passion for dance teaching and mentorship to young artists. She regularly trains pre-professional dancers in ballet and contemporary forms across various dance programs in Metro Detroit. Additionally, she offers college preparation and guidance for students aspiring to pursue dance. Isabella's teaching experience extends to colleges, intensives, and festivals nationwide. Alongside teaching, she serves as the Associate Artistic Director of Young Dancers Initiative and the Off-Ice Program Director at the Detroit Skating Club.

Our 2025 NewDANCEfest guest faculty will be announced soon!