Our mission.
Who we are
Detroit Metropolitan Dance, a non-profit 501(c)3 performing arts organization, serves the community in two capacities…the professional company that performs locally and tours nationally and internationally as a global ambassador for contemporary dance in Detroit and the School of Detroit Metropolitan Dance at the Maggie Allesee Studios for Dance and Arts Innovation training the next generation of dance artists in an inclusive and supportive environment.
The Professional Company
Moving into its 36th season as a professional contemporary dance repertory company, Detroit Metropolitan Dance, formerly, Eisenhower Dance Detroit gives life to the work of nationally and internationally known choreographers along with that of its founding artistic director, Laurie Eisenhower, and current artistic director, Stephanie Pizzo. This year, Ms. Pizzo leads DMD into its 9th season under her artistic guidance following Ms. Eisenhower's retirement in 2017. The company continues its artistic mission through collaborations with artists across genres including film directors, composers, visual designers, and musicians. Recent collaborators have included film creative Zachariah Hagy and electro-pop violin band, Nuclassica. DMD also engages in collaborations with arts organizations including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, the Rackham Symphony Choir, Detroit Opera, the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, The Toledo Opera to name a few. Since its inception, Detroit Metropolitan Dance has grown from a small pick-up company into a ten-dancer roster employing seven professional company dancers and two apprentices and one trainee. These artists have joined the DMD family from regions across the country. As the company’s mission states, Detroit Metropolitan Dance advances the future of contemporary dance through bold performance, transformative arts education, and meaningful community engagement. Rooted in Metro Detroit and reaching audiences nationally and internationally, we create innovative artistic experiences that inspire connection, creativity, and cultural impact.” Ms. Pizzo continues to expand the company’s innovative style and artistic vision while still honoring the legacy of Detroit Metropolitan Dance’s founder.
Considered one of the finest contemporary dance companies in the Midwest, DMD has been hailed for its artistry from sources including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Hour Magazine, and Detroit Free Press. Detroit Metropolitan Dance presents an annual Detroit Metro performance series and tours nationally and internationally. In 2015, 2017, and 2018, DMD was featured at the Ladek Zdroj International Dance Festival in Poland and Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2019 and 2026, the company performed to a standing ovation at the iconic dance mecca, Jacob’s Pillow, in Beckett, Massachusetts. In 2022, DMD embarked on a 5-week tour of Alaska. The company has performed works by many choreographers including Yoshito Sakuraba, Joshua Peugh, Tess Voelker, Hope Boykin, Marc Brew, Tamisha Guy, Norbert De La Cruz III, Maleek Washington, Christian Denice, Micaela Taylor, Edgar Zendejas, Lar Lubovitch, Ron de Jesus, and Darrell Grand Moultrie, to name a few. In Season 35, DMD welcomed Maxine Doyle for a choreographic residency with the company.
DMD has also produced several evening-length touring productions including “ARC”, a dramatic and highly visual look at labeling and stereotyping; “The Rite of Spring” set to Igor Stravinsky’s iconic score; and “The Light Show” which pairs four choreographers with four lighting designers for a visually stunning evening of dance. During the pandemic, DMD pivoted to offering virtual dance experiences highlighted by a major dance for film collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Art and Zazu Productions. “The Five Tangos,” an original production first conceived for the stage, was scheduled to premiere at the DIA in November, 2020. The collaborators reimagined the project for film and utilized four iconic metro Detroit locations for the setting of each tango. The film premiered online in December, 2021 and 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.”
The School of Detroit Metropolitan Dance at the Maggie Allesee Studios for Dance and Arts Innovation
The School of Detroit Metropolitan Dance provides the highest quality dance education for students of all ages and ability levels through a personalized approach aligned with the student’s individual goals. At the School of DMD, we create an inclusive community where students gain an understanding and appreciation for the art of dance, develop a skill set to participate in creating that art, support one another in the process, and grow self-confidence and life skills to go forth into the world as well-rounded people and good citizens.
Thanks to a major gift from the late Maggie Allesee, Detroit Metropolitan Dance, Michigan’s premier professional contemporary dance company, opened a new, state-of-the-art 11,800sq foot facility for the operations of the company and our school in November, 2022. Marking its 31st year of operation, the School of DMD sets an unsurpassed standard for outstanding dance education. What sets the School of DMD apart from other dance training centers is the fact that the professional company is intricately involved in working with the students. DMD dancers direct student companies, teach classes, mentor, and choreograph on the students in solo and ensemble works. Our students learn directly from professional dancers currently working in the field!
Additional teaching artists round out the faculty at the School of DMD. These artists are carefully selected for their ability to not only teach dance technique but also to nurture and support our students on their journey as artists and individuals learning and growing into their unique identities. Our students become a part of a supportive, inclusive community within the School. DMD Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo, has worked within the organization for all of its 33 years of existence beginning as a company dancer herself, serving as Assistant Artistic Director, and then moving into the role of Artistic Director 9 years ago when founder, Laurie Eisenhower retired. Pizzo has spent considerable time in collaboration with the DMD dancers, School directors, and teaching artists to develop a curriculum at the School designed to build strong, well-rounded dancers in a safe and healthy way.