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.
NEW LUXURY
RANCH HOMES IN
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
WWW.ROBERTSONHOMES.COM
MODEL TOURS NOW AVAILABLE
Call (248) 963-8913