Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble has transformed the stage into a sanctuary of healing art by entertaining, elevating and educating for more than 30 years. Guided by the pioneering vision of Cleo Parker Robinson, the Ensemble continues to uplift and excite audiences worldwide through an explosive body of works inspired by the African American experience and rooted in Black dance traditions. Legendary and emerging artists alike are drawn by the spirit of the company to create works that transcend the boundaries of culture, class and age while unequivocally communicating the complexity of the human condition.
The Ensemble performs regularly for Denver audiences, including three major concerts each year in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. As a National Cultural Treasure, the Ensemble tours nationwide throughout the year and has performed in many prestigious venues and festivals such as New York City’s Lincoln Center , American Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, MOJA Festival and Jacob’s Pillow. As Cultural Ambassadors, CPRDE has toured around the world to more than 20 countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Peru, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Singapore, Israel, Kenya and South Africa.
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble is a world-class dance company whose members serve as cultural ambassadors, sharing the universal language of dance. The Ensemble’s repertoire includes works by Ms. Robinson, as well as such choreographic legends as Donald Byrd, Talley Beatty, Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Milton Myers, Eleo Pomare, Dianne McIntyre, Ron K. Brown, Kevin “Iega” Jeff, David Rousseve, Gary Abbott, Winifred Harris, Nejla Yatkin, Carlos dos Santos Jr., Rosangela Silvestre, and Christopher Huggins, among others.
The Ensemble brings our program Teaching Tolerance Through Dance to area school and community organizations as part of our Season of Schools program. We provide teaching residencies for all ages and levels or ability in every city to which we tour, as well as in the Denver area. Traveling each year building dance appreciation with a fusion of energy and passion, the Ensemble guides dance audiences of all ages and strengthens dance-artists in each community visited.
CPRDE is featured in several documentaries including; “Pamoja: A Coming Together,” a film on the ‘96 cultural exchange with three Kenyan dance companies and “Dancing along the Nile,” a documentary of ‘99 Egypt tour, which won a Bronze Telly Award. The Ensemble has also been featured in more than 10 productions between the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and Opera Colorado. The 1999 collaboration with Denver Center Theater Company in A Dream on Monkey Mountain won national acclaim through a Tony Award.
