50 August 22 • 2019
jn

STEPHANIE RUOPP SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
A

s Detroit continues to grow 
and evolve, so does the 
Eisenhower Dance Detroit 
company, consistently ranked 
among the finest dance ensembles 
in the United States. During its 28 
years, it has received national and 
international accolades. 
Eisenhower Dance Detroit will 
be dancing in the street, sort of, 
between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday, 
Aug. 27, at Campus Martius in 
Detroit to the sound of Motown 
Music as part of the Culture POP 
series made possible by Culture 
Source and Quicken Loans 
Community Fund’
s August series of 
events. 
Three of Eisenhower Dance 
Detroit members are from 
the Detroit area, includ-
ing Lindsay Chirio-
Humenay, company 
manager and the sole 
Jewish dancer in the 
ensemble. 
 Originally 
from West 
Bloomfield, 
Chirio-
Humenay started 
dancing when she 
was just 2 years old. By 
age 9, she was training in com-
petitive dance. Her grandmother 
and mother both danced while 
they were growing up and she 
attributes much of her love and 
passion for music, rhythm and 
glitz to them. Plus, her 
maternal grandfather, 
Burt Levitt, was a 
record salesman, and 
the music he played 
always inspired her to 
move and groove.
Chirio-Humenay 
attended Oakland 
University’
s dance 
program on a schol-
arship. It was there she discovered 
Eisenhower Dance Detroit. She 
said she quickly fell in love with 
the company’
s training style, tech-
nique and alignment philosophies 

developed by artistic director Laurie 
Eisenhower. Just prior to gradua-
tion, Lindsay accepted an appren-
ticeship with the company.
She says being a part of 
Eisenhower Dance Detroit has 
given her opportunities she never 
imagined possible — many that 
have given her a deeper connection 
with her Jewish roots. In 2017, the 
company traveled to Israel. She was 
deeply moved by the culture, the 
people, the support for the arts, the 
gracious hearts of the locals and the 
beautiful scenery. 
She said she never 
forgets that none 
of this would have 
been possible had 
it not been for 
the bravery of her 
great-great-grandpar-
ents immigrating to the 
United States. “I am thankful 
that they took the leap to 
move to the U.S. to give 
our family so many 
amazing opportuni- 
 
ties and for being 
 
proud of our Jewish 
 
heritage,” she says. 
 
“They passed down 
the expectations that you work hard 
— no excuses — and you respect 
everyone, regardless of race, reli-
gion, etc.” 
Chirio-Humenay says she is 
“proud to be a part of a group 
that accepts and loves each other 
because of their differ-
ences.” And these days, 
that’
s more important 
than ever. 
The Eisenhower 
Dance Company will 
also be returning to 
the Berman Center for 
the Performing Arts on 
Feb. 15, 2020.
“We are proud to have 
been able to create and to con-
tinue to create relationships with 
the Berman Center and the Jewish 
community,” Chirio-Humenay 
says. ■

dance
arts&life

Details
Motown Music 
Campus Martius, Detroit
11 a.m.-1 p.m., 
Tuesday, Aug. 27

EISENHOWER DANCE COMPANY

Lindsay Chirio-Humenay

Dancing in the Streets

Performer connects with her Jewish 
roots through dance.
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