Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, located in the designated landmark Historic Shorter AME Facility, offers wheelchair access via the CPRD church (South side) with an outside ramp entrance through the front door and a chair lift directly inside (to the right inside the entrance). CPRD Theatre stage access also includes a chair lift from within the theatre to the east back stage area into the the CPRD Theatre. Our access includes usher assistance in getting from the parking lot to your seats. When purchasing tickets, we ask all patrons how we might best assist.
Our wonderful neighbors across the temporarily closed off section of Washington Street, Safeway—and nearby businesses—have granted us ongoing permission to use their parking lot. They ask that we use spaces not directly in front of their businesses. For school buses and student transport, please drop off students and park in an area not in front of businesses. We thank you for your cooperation!
Please contact Rhetta Shead if you have any questions or access issues: rhetta@cleoparkerdance.org
CPRD’s headquarters are in a renovated Denver Historic Landmark. The Shorter AME Facility was the former location of Denver’s oldest African American church, established in the 1860s, before Colorado statehood; this location was constructed in the 1880s and rebuilt after a devastating arson from 1925 to 1926. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance began leasing this location in 1988 from its previous owner, the City and County of Denver (during Mayor Federico Peña’s administration) and later the Denver Housing Authority. Since then, after significant renovations, it has been our home and headquarters.
From 1988 forward, CPRD spent several years renovating what was a church sanctuary and basement into a theatre and rehearsal studios.
In 2007, we added an annex on the East side of our facility with an elevator. This enabled improved ADA access to the facility at large.
An ADA Advisory Task Force, convened by CPRD President and CEO Malik Robinson, consulted with us during ongoing facility updates as we reviewed accommodation and entrance options for CPRD. These reviews balanced ADA access with overall fire and egress safety concerns in our 98-year-old historic facility. In December 2021, we purchased our home and the land under it. We added a wheelchair lift to our stage in March 2023.
The Cleo Parker Robinson Center for the Healing Arts, our project to more than double the size of our home, is under construction. Our new building wing, on the East side, will offer full and modern ADA access. The main entrance (South side of the Historic Shorter facility) has an entrance ramp and a chair lift to the right of the stairs. A second chair lift is on the east backstage entrance to the CPRD Theatre Stage.
