The School of Detroit Metropolitan Dance
Inspiring Confident, Creative, and Well-Rounded Dancers
At the School of Detroit Met Dance, students receive exceptional dance training in a supportive, professional, and inspiring environment. Whether a child is taking their very first dance class or preparing for advanced pre-professional opportunities, our school is designed to meet each dancer where they are and help them grow with confidence, discipline, creativity, and joy.
Rooted in the legacy of Eisenhower Dance Detroit and moving boldly forward as Detroit Met Dance, our school provides high-quality dance education for students of all ages and ability levels. Through a personalized approach, we help each student develop strong technique, artistic expression, self-confidence, and life skills that extend far beyond the studio.
Our Mission
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.
Why Train Here?
At Detroit Met Dance, students are not just taking dance classes—they are training inside a professional artistic environment that inspires growth, confidence, and possibility.
As the school connected to one of Michigan’s leading professional contemporary dance companies, Detroit Met Dance offers a unique training experience where students learn directly from working professional dancers, choreographers, and experienced teaching artists. Our company artists teach classes, mentor students, choreograph works, and help young dancers understand what it means to train with discipline, purpose, and artistry.
What makes our school different is our personalized, whole-dancer approach. We recognize that every student has their own goals, whether they are dancing for joy, building confidence, preparing for college programs, or pursuing a professional career. Our faculty is committed to helping each dancer grow in a safe, healthy, and supportive way.
Students at Detroit Met Dance develop strong technique, creativity, musicality, performance quality, and self-expression. Just as importantly, they build life skills—focus, perseverance, collaboration, responsibility, and confidence—that will serve them far beyond the studio.
Families choose Detroit Met Dance because we offer exceptional training, professional mentorship, meaningful performance opportunities, and a community where students feel seen, supported, and challenged to become their best.
Here, dancers train with excellence. They grow with confidence. They belong to something larger than themselves.
Train Where Professional Dance Lives
What makes the School of Detroit Met Dance truly unique is our direct connection to Michigan’s premier professional contemporary dance company. Our students don’t just take classes—they learn inside a living, breathing professional dance environment.
Detroit Met Dance company artists are deeply involved in the school as teachers, mentors, choreographers, and directors of student companies. Students have the rare opportunity to learn directly from professional dancers who are actively performing, creating, and working in the field today. This connection gives young dancers a powerful window into the discipline, artistry, and possibilities of a life in dance.
Pre-Professional Youth Company
For students ready to take their training to the next level, the Detroit Met Dance Pre-Professional Youth Company offers a focused and inspiring pathway for serious young dancers.
Designed for dedicated students who are passionate about growing as artists, the Youth Company provides advanced training, rehearsal experience, performance opportunities, mentorship, and exposure to the expectations of a professional dance environment. Students work closely with Detroit Met Dance faculty, company artists, and guest choreographers while developing the discipline, versatility, confidence, and artistry needed for future success.
Youth Company dancers have opportunities to perform throughout the season, participate in adjudications and festivals, and experience what it means to be part of a committed artistic ensemble. Through this program, students build not only their technical and performance skills, but also their leadership, collaboration, accountability, and creative voice.
The Pre-Professional Youth Company is ideal for dancers who are ready to deepen their training, expand their performance experience, and become part of a motivated community of young artists.
College Prep Program
For high school students considering dance beyond graduation, Detroit Met Dance offers a College Prep Program designed to help dancers and families navigate the next step with clarity and confidence.
This program supports students as they prepare for college dance auditions, applications, scholarship opportunities, summer intensives, and future training pathways. Dancers receive personalized mentorship, guidance on audition preparation, support in developing a dance portfolio, and opportunities to strengthen the skills needed for collegiate-level dance programs.
Through curated classes, ongoing assessment, professional mentorship, and individualized planning, students begin building the tools they need to present themselves confidently as young artists. The program may include support with headshots, dance photography, resumes, audition materials, solo preparation, and conversations around finding the right college or post-secondary path.
The College Prep Program reflects Detroit Met Dance’s commitment to preparing the whole dancer—not only technically and artistically, but personally and professionally. We help students understand their options, articulate their goals, and take meaningful steps toward their future.
A State-of-the-Art Home for Dance
Thanks to a major gift from the late Maggie Allesee, our company and school opened a beautiful 11,800-square-foot facility in November 2022. This state-of-the-art home provides students with the space, resources, and professional atmosphere they need to train safely, confidently, and with purpose.
As we continue to grow as Detroit Met Dance, our school remains committed to honoring our legacy while building an exciting future for the next generation of artists.
A Curriculum Designed for Healthy, Whole Dancers
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Stephanie Pizzo, the school’s curriculum has been carefully developed to build strong, versatile, and well-rounded dancers. Stephanie has been part of the organization since its beginning—first as a company dancer, then as Assistant Artistic Director, and now as Artistic Director—bringing decades of experience, care, and artistic vision to the training program.
In collaboration with company dancers, school directors, and teaching artists, our curriculum emphasizes technical excellence, artistic development, injury prevention, creativity, and personal growth. Students are encouraged to work hard, take risks, support one another, and discover their own unique voice as artists.
More than Dance Classes
At Detroit Met Dance, students become part of a welcoming and inclusive community. Our teaching artists are selected not only for their expertise in dance, but also for their ability to nurture, encourage, and support each student as an individual.
Through dance, students learn focus, perseverance, collaboration, confidence, and respect. They gain an appreciation for the art form while developing the skills to participate in it fully—whether for recreation, personal growth, collegiate study, or a future professional career.
Why Families Choose Detroit Met Dance
Families choose Detroit Met Dance because we offer
Professional-level training in a supportive environment
Classes for a wide range of ages, levels, and goals
Mentorship from professional dancers and experienced teaching artists
A safe, healthy, and thoughtful approach to dance education
Opportunities for performance, artistry, and personal growth
A strong sense of community, belonging, and encouragement
A direct connection to one of Michigan’s leading professional dance companies
Find your Place at Detroit Met Dance
Whether your dancer dreams of the stage, wants to build confidence, or simply loves to move, Detroit Met Dance is a place where they can grow. Here, students are challenged, supported, inspired, and celebrated every step of the way.
Join the School of Detroit Met Dance and experience training that honors the individual, builds the artist, and prepares students to move boldly into the world.
Registration is now open. Find your class and take your next step with Detroit Met Dance.