Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) is a cultural ambassador, infusing vitality, innovation and education into every community we touch—around the corner and around the globe.
Every action we perform is done with the intent to transform ourselves and others; to give a voice to the voiceless; to leave a lasting legacy of excellence and understanding.
CPRD was founded in 1970 and became a 501(c)(3) Not-for-Profit organization in 1974, continuing to build upon its dance school and ensemble origins. For five decades, we have developed into an internationally esteemed organization that operates beyond the traditional performing arts model.
There are four pillars of the organization, namely, the CPRD Ensemble, Academy, Theatre, and Education programs. Working in concert, CPRD programs have created an oasis where a varied population—by gender, race, age and ethnicity—gather to study and appreciate a modern, cross-cultural approach to creative community development. Housed in the historic A.M.E. Shorter Church in Five Points, CPRD serves as a convener of community, art and dance.
Cleo Parker Robinson is founder, artistic director and choreographer of the 50-year-old Denver-based artistic institution, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. She leads a professional dance Ensemble, Youth and Junior Youth Ensembles, a Dance Academy, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat …
+Cleo Parker Robinson is founder, artistic director and choreographer of the 50-year-old Denver-based artistic institution, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. She leads a professional dance Ensemble, Youth and Junior Youth Ensembles, a Dance Academy, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat theatre that bears her name, and a myriad of community outreach programs. She continues to be the recipient of honors and awards from civic, community, and artistic organizations around the world, and is called on by a myriad of organizations and performance venues to bring her Ensemble for performances, and to conduct workshops, master classes, and motivational seminars. Her philosophy of “One Spirit, Many Voices” is reflected in all she does, and is the vision she brings to everyone she meets, everywhere she goes.
A master teacher/choreographer and cultural ambassador she has taught and performed with her Ensemble in such diverse places as Iceland, Singapore, Hawaii, Nassau, Belize, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, throughout Europe, and throughout the African continent. People of all ages and backgrounds have participated in Ms. Parker Robinson’s workshops and master classes at conservatories, universities and neighborhood dance centers worldwide Ms. Parker Robinson’s awards include the Colorado’s Governor’s Award for Excellence (1974), Denver’s Mayor’s Award (1979), induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (1989) and the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame (1994). Recognized in Who’s Who in America Colleges and Universities she holds Honorary Doctorate from Denver University (1991), an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Colorado College (2003), and an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Regis University in Denver (2008). Ms. Parker Robinson was a long-standing member of the Board of Directors for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and in 1998 Cleo Parker Robinson Dance became an affiliate of the Center.
In 1998, President Clinton named Ms. Parker Robinson as one of two artists to be appointed to the National Council on the Arts where she served until 2005 as one of the two appointed members of the fourteen-member council in Washington D.C. In 2005, Ms. Parker Robinson received a Kennedy Center Medal of Honor during the Center’s “Masters of African American Choreographers” series. Also in 2005, Ms. Parker Robinson received the King M. Trimble Community Award for service to the Denver community.
Ms. Robinson received the first-ever Peaceful Heart Award from Mile-Hi Church, and was honored by the Colorado Gospel Hall of Fame, and the Metro State College Plain & Fancy Ball. In 2006, she received the “Jill” Award from the South Suburban Denver Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc., honoring her work with young people. Also in 2006, Ms. Parker Robinson was honored as a “Pioneer In Black Dance” by the Dynamic Dance Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2007, she received the Huntington’s Disease of America Distinguished Leadership Award., the “Fairfax B. Holmes Community Award” from The Denver Links, Inc. and the “Unsung Heroes Mountain Award” from African American Leadership Institute. In 2008, she was awarded the President’s Award of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, the Civil Rights Award of the Anti-Defamation League, and the Civil Rights Medallion of the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship program.
In 2009, Ms. Robinson received the Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award for Service to the Community, and the Dr. Martin King Jr. / William “Bill” Roberts Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award. Most recently, she was awarded the 2009 NEWSED Civil Rights Award, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver (2010).
Malik Robinson grew up and into his role at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in African Studies from Regis University, he officially began his tenure as Development Director winning national awards for the acclaimed Ensemble. Malik …
+Malik Robinson grew up and into his role at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in African Studies from Regis University, he officially began his tenure as Development Director winning national awards for the acclaimed Ensemble. Malik then moved on to Booking Manager increasing the Ensemble’s annual tours to 15 cities nationwide. Leading with the arts as a force for transformation and peace, he secured and lead tours to Israel and Egypt during times of heightened civil unrest. Before being named Executive Director in 2014, Malik developed and directed evidenced-based after-school programming recognized for positive findings. Malik is active on several arts organization boards and initiatives as well as a member of the Denver Metro Chamber’s Leadership Denver Class of 2015 and a Bonfils Stanton Foundation 2015 Livingston Fellow.
“Malik has demonstrated a keen ability to provide strong management while developing strategic partnerships to ensure the legacy of one of Colorado’s longest operating cultural arts institutions.”
–Gwen Brewer, CPRD Board Chair
Denver, Colo., March 1, 2022 — Today’s announcement by the State of Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) of $4 million in revitalization funding describes a large facility expansion at the historic headquarters facility of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) at 119 Park Avenue West in Denver’s Five Points.
https://oedit.colorado.gov/press-release/new-recipients-of-community-revitalization-grant
This is an exciting announcement and funding milestone.
In keeping with full transparency to Colorado taxpayers, this announcement, along with others receiving grants in this funding cycle, was necessary. We have many further details to share at a press conference in May, the date to be announced along with the start of the 52nd Season/Anniversary of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Please contact Pat Smith so we can include you in that announcement, and for her to relay any questions you may have to the CPRD Leadership Team for additional follow up.
This expansion project has a been a dream of many years and it has been a specific goal of CPRD Executive Director Malik Robinson. (continued in link)
Read MorePalm Beach Arts Paper, February 18, 2021 — The choice of companies for this year’s Modern Dance Series at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth Beach is a celebration, not just of the modern dance companies that made it through the pandemic, but of those that have been around for decades and are on the verge of becoming historic institutions.
....What keeps a dance company thriving for so many years? In so many instances, it is the leadership, passion and perseverance of the artistic director. Such is the case with the Denver-based Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, which was founded more than five decades ago with the mission of uniting people of all ages through the language of dance as they “explore the human condition, champion social justice … and ultimately celebrate the complexity of life through movement.”
Read MoreDENVER (CBS4) February 15, 2021 – On a Tuesday morning, Cleo Parker Robinson sat in her studio, shimmying her shoulders and swaying along with the choreographed moves of her dancers. A similar scene plays out daily at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
Read MoreDenverite.com, December 27, 2021 by Kevin Beaty — The stalwarts of Denver’s annual Kwanzaa celebration were so glad to be back together in person this year. COVID pushed the gathering into virtual territory in 2020. This year, face masks could not contain the emotions inside Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s theater.
Read MoreWestword.com, Denver, December 10, 2021 by Nathalie Baret — Cleo Parker Robinson was visiting two former dancers in Washington, D.C., when she stumbled upon a book that inspired her holiday dance production that has celebrated cultural traditions from around the world for three decades.
“This couple had been members of my dance company and moved to D.C., where they started a family,” Robinson says. “I went to see them after they had their two girls and twins, and neither of them had a job. I was in the nursery room crying, going through toys, when I found this book called The Dancing Granny."
Read MoreWestword.com, Denver, September 24, 2021, by Claire Duncombe — If you ask legendary Denver choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson, her new production "Journeys" is the culmination of a series of serendipitous moments between artists and a reflection on the strength of their relationships.
Read MoreRocky Mountain Public Media Studios, September 24, 2021, with Brian Willie — Now that the curtains have once again opened for live performances, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble is taking the stage again for it's 51st anniversary. For two nights—September 25 and 26—"Journeys" is a 90-minute performance that includes four major works and spoken word. "Freedom Dance," one of the major works, includes music by and a live performance from Denver’s Grammy Award-winning jazz icon, Dianne Reeves. “Four Journeys” examines the intersection of African, Asian, Spanish, and Indigenous culture in Mexico.
Read MoreRocky Mountain Public Media Studios, September 22, 2021 10:30 a.m. — In this :20 minute interview, acclaimed Denver choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson and visiting artist Viviana Basanta visited with Susan Gatschet before their premiere performances of “Journeys” at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House...
Read MoreThe Denver Post, Sunday Life & Culture Feature September 19, and DenverPost.com/TheKnow September 21, 2021 by Ray Mark Rinaldi, Special to The Denver Post — Singer Dianne Reeves doesn’t recall the day she met dancer Cleo Parker Robinson, her friend, fellow artist and, these days, her collaborator.
“Cleo has just always existed,” said Reeves, who did her growing up in Denver, the city Robinson also calls home. “We just always knew her.”
Read MoreVail Daily/Vail Valley Colorado, August 10, 2021 — Last week’s “NOW: Premieres” event concluded the Vail Dance Festival by debuting seven new works, and the creative collaboration it generated continues on.
“New premieres is what the Vail Dance Festival is all about,” said Mike Imhof, president of the Vail Valley Foundation. “It’s the end of the two-week festival … (which supported) an endless melting pot of creativity.”
The sentiment of dancers backstage was bittersweet as the festival came to a close.
Read MoreLIVE from the Vail Dance Festival, we are joined by choreographer, Cleo Parker Robinson. Cleo is the found of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. She gives us background on her career, coming, and her choreography. She also tells us about the work that she created for the 2021 Vail Dance Festival. This episode was recorded LIVE from the Vail Dance Festival, This episode was recorded on August 8, 2021 at the Manor Vail Lodge.
Read MoreDenver Life Magazine, June 1, 2021 — Cleo Parker Robinson is founder and executive artistic director of the Denver-based Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, established in 1970, now celebrating the start of its 51st anniversary season.
Read MoreNon-Profit Register | ColoradoPolitics.com, June 1, 2021 — Former Denver Bronco Ryan Harris and Denver County Sheriff Elias Diggins are among the 13 civic leaders taking part in the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance fundraising gala, Dancing with the Denver Stars.
Read MoreNew York Times, March 31, 2021 — ....This year’s festival, July 30-Aug. 9, will be held entirely outdoors, at the Gerald R. Ford amphitheater, and conform to current Covid protocols, Damian Woetzel, the festival’s artistic director, said in an email.
...Other new works shown at the festival will include a collaboration between Lil Buck and Lauren Lovette; a piece by New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer, Justin Peck, to a commissioned score by Shaw; and new works by Michelle Dorrance, Cleo Parker Robinson and James Whiteside.
Read More9News, KUSA NBC Denver, March 26, 2021— Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) started an Arts-In-Education outreach program that introduces middle and high school students to STEM career options. Their program called STREAM: Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts, and Media gets students interested in math, science and engineering and learning how they relate to performing arts production.
“It’s all about their creation and innovation,” said STREAM instructor Trey Grimes.
Read MoreDenver Gazette, March 12, 2021—Nothing tells the catastrophic story of the past year in the performing arts better than the sterile silence that still thunders over our mostly empty stages.
...A ‘victory lap’ denied
After a four-year period of unprecedented growth, that esteemed dance company was poised for 2020 to be a year-long victory lap celebrating five milestone decades as the cultural hub of Denver’s Five Points.
Read MoreDenver Post, February 3, 2021—Dozens of supporters of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance — some in-person, but most on Zoom — gathered last week to mark the blessing of the nonprofit company’s 240-seat theater after months of renovation work.
Robinson, who founded one of the most respected Black dance ensembles in the U.S., appeared resplendent in white to mark the occasion, which put a cap on two months of frenzied work inside the 100-year-old Shorter AME complex at 119 Park Avenue West, which CPRD calls home.
Read MoreFront Page, Denver Post, January 22, 2021 — Cleo Parker Robinson recalls the conversations around the kitchen table when she was a young Black girl in Denver during the Jim Crow era.
They talked about all kinds of things, like homework and bullying in school, and “heavy topics” like cross burnings, cops following her Black father around, how her family could buy a house in Denver only if her white mother purchased it.
Read MoreJanuary 2021 Feature Story about Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and the 50th Anniversary
Read More
|