Bios

Laurie Eisenhower, received her BAE and MFA degrees in dance from Arizona State University where she received the Wanda Turk Choreography Award and the Faculty Excellence Award. In the early years of her career, she danced professionally in both California and New York City with various dance companies and choreographers, most notably, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, David Parsons, Chen and Dancers, Harry Streep III, and Mel Wong.

Ms. Eisenhower began setting her work on professional dancers in 1981 when she was invited to set a work on Baker's Half Dozen in New York as part of the Prospect Park Dance Festival in Brooklyn. Since then, she has set her works on numerous dance companies including Two Rivers Dance Company, Local Motion, Desert Dance Theatre, Semaphor Dance Company, More Dance Company, and Harbinger Dance of which she was artistic director.

In 1991, she formed the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, which, with the help of committed and talented dancers, has become the premiere dance company in the state of Michigan. Since the founding of EDE, the company has grown from a small ensemble of four dancers on a pay-per-performance basis to the current company with an extensive schedule of rehearsals, performances and touring. The company has traveled as far as St. Petersburg, Russia, made a very successful New York City debut, tours nationally, and is now in the midst of its 17th season.

Ms. Eisenhower has received frequent grants and honors for her choreography. Her work was presented twice at the Morningside Dance Festival at the Theatre of the Riverside Church in New York City and she has received three Creative Artists grants from state arts foundations, the Michigan Dance Association Choreographers Festival Award, and the Women in Art Award for Choreography. In addition, Ms. Eisenhower was presented with the Outstanding Michigan Artist Award by Governor Jennifer Granholm at the 2003 Governor's Arts Awards ceremony.

Ms. Eisenhower is also well known for her teaching and is a Full Professor of Dance at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. AT OU, she has been honored twice by the OU Board of Trustees, was awarded a Travis Professorship, has received 15 faculty research grants in support of her work, and has received the Faculty Recognition Award for her outstanding contributions in the field of dance.

Stephanie Pizzo, Associate Artistic Director, is a native of Clinton Township, Michigan where she began her training with Orchid Diane and Denise Boucke and continued with Evelyn Kreason. She danced with the Michigan Ballet Theatre as a corps and principal dancer, Oakland Dance Theater and Harbinger Dance Company. She graduated with a BA with an emphasis in Dance from Oakland University. As a student, she received the Jacob S. Decker Award for outstanding dancer and a scholarship from the American College Dance Festival to study with the Ririe Woodbury Dance Company in Utah. Ms. Pizzo teaches EDE company class, rehearses the company, and choreographs. She has staged works by Laurie Eisenhower on numerous companies including Desert Dance Theatre, Scottsdale Community College, Collin County Community College and Alma College. Ms. Pizzo teaches ballet the EDE Center for Dance. She is a founding member of Eisenhower Dance Ensemble.

 

Dancers

Mary Bischoff, from Sterling Heights, Michigan, began her training with EDE as a high school student where she had her first opportunity to perform with the company. Mary. continued her training on scholarship at Oakland University where she earned her BA in Dance. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was the recipient of the Jacob S. Decker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. She also trained at the Limon Institute in NYC as a Maggie Allesee Summer Study Scholarship recipient. Mary has performed with Oakland Dance Theatre and OU Repertory Dance Company and has appeared as a guest dancer and apprentice with the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. She has performed works by choreographers including Bill DeYoung, Joel Hall and Li Chao Ping, among others. Mary trains competitive-level figure skaters and gymnasts and is beginning her sixth season with the EDE Center for Dance.

Bethany Blanchard is a native of White Lake, MI, where she began her dance training at the age of 4. Pursuing her BA in Dance, Bethany attended Marymount Manhattan College (NY) and Western Michigan University with scholarships in dance and academics. College is where Bethany found her love and passion for modern dance and the stage, performing in works by modern dance legends Martha Graham and Denise Vale, among others. She has also had the honor of dancing the principle role in Helen Tamaris' How Long Brethren?. Bethany's professional performance credits include Legends in Concert, Las Vegas's longest running tribute show, commercial industrial productions throughout the U.S., and guest performances with local area ballets. Bethany is very excited to be back in Michigan and a new member of EDE.

Alicia Cutaia, originally from Rochester, NY, earned her BFA with honors from Point Park University with a double major in Ballet and Jazz. Her previous training includes Lou Conte Dance Studio’s scholarship program, North Carolina Dance Theater, and River North Dance Company. She has worked with and performed pieces by many renowned choreographers, including Lou Conte, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Daniel Ezralow, Choo-San Goh, Alan Hineline, Harrison McEldowney, Kevin O’Day, Frances Patrelle, David Storey, Margo Sappington, and Christian Holder. She has previously danced with Hubbard Street 2 Chicago and Giordano 2 Jazz Dance Chicago. She has also choreographed for Revolve Dance Theater in Pittsburgh, PA. Alicia teaches many dance forms. She has taught at the Lou Conte Dance Studio and the EDE Center for Dance, and she has conducted master classes in Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. She has also designed the costumes for Stephanie Pizzo's Strange Humors and has designed and constructed the costumes for the EDE Summer Ballet Intensive's production of Cinderella.

Matt Pardo, a native of Albany, New York, earned an Advanced Honors B.F.A. degree in dance from the University at Buffalo in 2007. While at UB, Matt was a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company and the Zodiaque Studio Dance Ensemble. His choreography was chosen to be presented for the Chancellor's Celebration for Academic Excellence, the Zodiaque Studio Dance Ensemble, the Young Choreographers Showcase, and Dancers Workshop. During his time at UB, he received scholarships to study at the Boston Ballet and the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Center in Chicago. Matt has trained with and performed works by Randy Duncan, Eddy Ocampo, Bill Evans, Thomas Ralabate, William E. Thomas, Joe Cipolla, Maris Battaglia, and Elisabeth Distasio-Waddell, among others. In addition to performing and choreographing , Matt has also taught classes in ballet, tap, jazz, and voice at The Wahl's Performing Arts Center in Orchard Park NY, the Dyan Mulvey Dance Academy in Lockport NY, and for the Zodiaque Dance Company at the University at Buffalo.

Jessica Reimer received her BFA in Dance from the University of Central Oklahoma. While attending, she was a member of the Kaleidoscope Dancers Company and served as student rehearsal director. In 2002 her choreography was selected by the American College Dance Festival to be performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Other training credits include Tisch School of the Arts, The Edge, Ballet Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Her earliest training began under Yvonne Chouteau, one of the five Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma who danced with the Ballets Russes. Jessica has had the privilage of performing original works by Bill Evans, Loretta Livingston and Sean Curran. Her teaching experience includes the University of Central Oklahoma, Classen School of Advanced Studies, the Academy of Dance Arts, and Range of Motion. She was also a guest artist at Norman North High School. Before joining EDE, Jessica was a performer and choreographer for Perpetual Motion Dance Company.

 

Apprentices

Heather Chojnowski recently received a B.A. degree from Oakland University in Dance/Performing Arts where she danced with Oakland Dance Theatre and Oakland Repertory Dance Company. Heather has studied and performed in works by Sean Curran, Alexandra Beller, Stephen Koester, Mariah Malec, Gregory Patterson, Christine Naughton Shawl, and David Dorfman, as well as Laurie Eisenhower. Heather has also performed with the Patterson Rhythm Pace Dance Company. Heather is the Director and founder of Motor City Elite All-Stars of Waterford, Michigan, and she currently teaches classes in ballet, jazz and tap. Heather's choreography has been performed by the Oakland Dance Theater, Motor City Elite All-Stars and local competition companies.

Kathaleen Moylan is currently completing a minor in exercise science at Oakland University after completing her B.A. in Dance/Performing Arts in April 2007. While at OU, she danced with Oakland Dance Theatre and Oakland Repertory Company and performed in the American College Dance Festival gala concerts in both Kansas and Ohio. She has performed works by Sean Curran, Stephen Koester, Alexandra Beller, Adrienne Clancy, Gregory Patterson, Mariah Malec and Christine Naughton Shawl. She is beginning her second year of teaching at the EDE Center for Dance.

Alia Simon was born in Westerville, Ohio, received her undergraduate education from The Ohio State University, and graduated with distinction in Dance and Women's Studies. While at Ohio State she performed for Ming Lung-Yang in collaboration with Bebe Miller, Kathleen Hermsdorf, and Nicole Stanton and with Vickie Uris. She also studied modern and ballet techniques under teachers Coco Loupe, Jon Giffin, and her mentor, Susan Hadley. In 2007, Alia placed in the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum for her study in after-school dance and its affects on higher academic performance in underprivileged secondary schools. In 2005, she received a scholarship to the American Dance Festival and performed for choreographer Neta Pulvermacher. In 2003, Alia interned at Broadway Dance Center and worked with choreographers Dorit Koppel, Sheila Barker, and Wes Veldink.