Cleo Parker Robinson Dance: A year of momentum

Earlier this year, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) announced a $4 million Community Revitalization grant from Colorado Creative Industries. That was just the beginning of a year filled with momentum.

Recently, the 52-year-old dance ensemble and education center has announced a full lineup of activities for the coming year, most notably the return of what’s been called the “most fun fundraising event in Denver,” Dancing with the Denver Stars.

First up, CPRD will commemorate the federal and state recognition of Juneteenth with a two-day celebration. In addition to the Juneteenth Music Festival in nearby Five Points, the dance company will host:

An Evening Jazz Concert with poet Nikki Giovanni and saxophonist Javon Jackson

June 17 at 7:30pm

119 Park Avenue West

Tickets: $30-$75

Panel, Poetry and Dance with keynote speaker Nikki Giovanni

June 18 at 1pm

119 Park Avenue West

Tickets: $30

Poster for the CPRD Juneteenth event

In July, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance presents the Mile High Dance Festival, a two-day event that celebrates dance and Denver-based artists. The performances begin at 7pm each day and the festival features food, vendors, performances and activities for the whole family. Held outside their building at 119 Park Avenue West, participants may choose free lawn seating or to purchase reserved seats for $10.

Poster for the CPRD Mile High Festival

The company’s 2022/23 season begins in August and culminates in May. Upcoming performances include:

Summer Suite

Features “Sweet Re,” a tribute to Aretha Franklin

Aug 5 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $28-40

Sacred Spaces?

Sept 17 at 7:30pm, Sept 18 at 2pm

Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum

A multicultural celebration that recounts Granny’s stories from her life dancing around

the world and rekindles the wonderment of the winter holiday season.

Dec 10-18, times vary

Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Legacy

The CPRD Ensemble’s annual spring concert

May 12-14, times vary

Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

And, finally, Dancing with the Denver Stars returns on August 13 at the Denver Hilton City Center. Featuring some of Denver’s most notable business, civic and cultural leaders paired with CPRD ensemble members, the high-spirited evening is a highlight of the social season.

For weeks, a professional dancer coaches the local “celebrity” on a dance to be performed on stage in front of friends, family, colleagues and peers. Featuring a wide variety of dance styles, the packed hotel ballroom is filled with camaraderie, community and celebration. This year’s event features:

  • Nancy Alterman, Retired
  • Kenneth Crowley Sr., The Crowley Foundation
  • Zelda DeBoyes, Retired Court Administrator
  • Dave Espinosa, Mortenson
  • Andrea Fulton, Denver Art Museum
  • Rene Garcia, Janus Henderson
  • Liz Gardner, Xcel
  • Bee Harris, Denver Urban Spectrum
  • Norman Harris, The Holleran Group Five Points
  • Debbie Herrera, CHFA
  • Georg Hill, Office of Mayor Michael B. Hancock
  • Tori Mason, CBS4
  • Moira Morrison, Janus Henderson
  • Lexi Muller, Southwest Airlines
  • Megan Scremin, Special Olympics Colorado
  • Fabian Tunson, U.S. Bank
  • Romita Wadwa, Empower
  • Jametta White, General Counsel

 

 

Poster for the CPRD Dancing with the Denver Stars event

Proceeds from the event support CPRD’s Arts-in-Education and outreach programs, which, since its inception in 1970, have served more than a million K-12 students in schools across the metro Denver area. Virtual tickets are $25, and Individual tickets are $250, Corporate tables range from $5,000 to $15,000.

For more information on the Dancing with the Denver Stars Gala or any of the other programs offered by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, visit cleoparkerdance.org.