Dance company director receives 2023 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award

BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD — Stephanie Pizzo, a founding member of the Eisenhower Dance Company, is the recipient of the 2023 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award.

When Laurie Eisenhower started Eisenhower Dance Company, a nonprofit organization, 33 years ago, Pizzo was one of the original company members. At the time, she was the youngest member. It was Pizzo’s first job, as she was just graduating from college.

Pizzo grew up in the suburbs, where she started dancing as a child. In high school she danced for a pre-professional company before earning her degree in dance at Oakland University. She met Eisenhower while she was studying at Oakland University.

While beginning as a young company member, she was able to move up the ladder within Eisenhower Dance Company as time went on. She held several positions, including resident choreographer, associate artistic director and co-artistic director.  After about 26 years, Laurie retired and passed the company onto Pizzo. This is Pizzo’s seventh season as artistic director.

“What I learned the most about myself when I stepped into the position as a leadership role was community, and I really wanted to have a stronger presence in our community and have a stronger relationship with our community,” Pizzo said. “That is something we have really focused on in the last six years.”

Last January, a new state-of-the-art dance complex funded by the Strum Allesee Family Foundation opened in Bloomfield Hills under Pizzo’s leadership.

Pizzo has been applauded for her community outreach and her work with schools of all socio-economic groups.

“We are thankful that we have had the opportunity to work with the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and the Abrams Foundation that have provided us resources so that we can offer outreach to the children that are in need that might not have the resources to dance,” Pizzo said.

Twice a week they are offering free dance classes for the kids at Durfee Elementary-Middle School. They are also helping students with homework.

“We’re in our second year, and it’s been very successful. The kids have really enjoyed it,” Pizzo said.

Pizzo said it is rewarding to see a student spark an interest in dance from her classes, especially when they go on to pursue dance afterwards.  She said she believes there is value in “giving support and developing the human as a whole.”

“I just really find that it’s really important to me to keep educating our youth and giving them an outlet, with all the stress and everything that’s going on with them these days,” Pizzo said.

Pizzo said she is honored to be the recipient of the 2023 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award. She credits her whole team’s hard work toward helping support the mission of the organization.

“We had no idea what an impact Stephanie had had internationally on the world of modern dance nor the effects she had in the community from the stuff she does in Detroit with children,”  Marcy Heller Fisher, the co-chair of the 2023 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Awards, said. “Everybody was overwhelmed by her presence and her commitment. … She was just a phenomenal honoree.”

Pizzo was honored at the 28th annual Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Awards at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center Oct. 13.