From the beginning of recorded time, cultures throughout the world have expressed their individual understanding of what defines sacred space for them – whether it is the human body, a natural elemental place of air, earth, and water, or an intentional structure built specifically to embrace, enhance, and elevate the mind, body, spirit, and senses towards a higher plane. From womb to heart, cave to canyon, church to temple – the perception of the sacred, and the space containing it, is vast and complex.
Earlier this year, we began a significant project through a grant provided by the Ford Foundation and SCFD, collaborating with artists to share stories previously left largely untold. The initial phase of this project was shared in our “Equinox” concert earlier this year, as renowned indigenous poet and spoken word artist, Esther Belin, collaborated with our Associate Artistic Director, Winifred R. Harris, to create the work-in-progress, “Ethos”.
Dear Patrons, Family, and Friends:
The second phase of the project involves an historic creative collaboration between Cleo Parker Robinson and Grammy Award winner, composer, and conductor, Adonis Rose, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Early in 2019, we were approached by Jacqueline Lyle, Executive Director of Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA), to bring artists and communities together to tell a powerful story. Through music, movement, and narration, we began to shape a work that focused on a shared history between Denver’s Five Points community and St. Landry’s Parish, LA. confronting the brutal loss of four Black communities’ sacred spaces through church arson in 1925 and 2019. Even during pandemic, the project continued to develop.
In June 2022, members of our administrative staff and artistic team traveled to Lafayette, LA. to meet with the pastors and congregations of the burned churches in neighboring Opelousas, LA. We shared our own history of Denver’s original Shorter AME Church which had been burned by the Klan, rebuilt and paid for by its congregation, and served its community for decades before becoming the permanent home of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in the late 1980s where we’ve now been for over 35 years. In sharing our histories there was an immediate sense of oneness. Children, young adults, families, and elders - we danced together in joy and sorrow, speaking our truths in open dialogue, and in so doing, we began to shape our own uniquely sacred space. Our dear friend and colleague, Millicent Johnnie, who has set two other works on the Ensemble, joined the project as Artistic Collaborator, bringing her unique perspective as a Louisiana-born choreographer and multifaceted artist, adding the flavor of Creole and Zydeco cultures into the mix.
Welcome to our Fall Concert and World Premiere of “Sacred Spaces?”, presented in collaboration with Denver Arts and Venues. We’re delighted and honored to have you join us in this beautiful Ellie Caulkins Opera House!
We hope you’ll come away from today’s concert with a deeper understanding of the elements in your own life that encourage and enable you to create and sustain your own sense of sacred space – and that you’ll hold that place of peace in your heart! May your sacred space be filled with Love and Light, Resilience and Celebration of your Life’s Journey!
Our 12th Annual “Dancing with the Denver Stars” Gala took place at the Hilton City Center on August 13th and was one of our most successful galas yet – raising a record amount of funding to support our Educational Programming. Two days after the Gala, the Ensemble returned to the iconic Jacob’s Pillow Festival in Massachusetts’ beautiful Berkshire Mountains, after 20 years, for a critically and audience acclaimed run of six performances – all of which generated standing ovations along with a renewed awareness and appreciation for the Ensemble among East Coast audiences.
In the Spirit of Dance,
In this concert, as we explore the nature of what is sacred, we also share two repertory works. “Temple In Motion” by Brazilian artist, Rosangela Silvestre, speaks about the body as a temple, becoming the source from which the voice of movement and freedom is expressed. “Dépouillé” by CPRD Associate Artistic Director, Winifred R. Harris, is presented as a moving meditation – allowing the spirit to reveal itself.
Our 28th Annual International Summer Dance Institute (ISDI), the region’s finest summer intensive program, was one of the most exciting yet, with students and master teachers from all over the country participating. Our Academy of Dance, under the guidance of Academy Manager, Victoria Shead, offers an ever-expanding variety of classes, with an incredible range to fit all ages and abilities! Ms. Shead is herself the product of our Academy, having studied with us since the age of three, before growing to become both a performer and teacher.
As we launch this historic 52nd ANNIVERSARY SEASON, the mission and vision of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance remains strong through the leadership of our Executive Director, Malik Robinson - and the perseverance of our Ensembles, Staff, Faculty, and Board of Directors. With the support of generous individuals, businesses, corporations, and civic organizations, we continue to advance our artistic and educational vision into an ever-expanding community of students, communities, and audiences. You’ll want to visit our website at www.cleoparkerdance.org to keep up on all the dates and locations where we’ll be teaching and performing, locally, nationally, and internationally.
On the back cover of your program, you’ll see information for the 31st Anniversary Season of our holiday classic “Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum”! Pre-sale of tickets is already underway – so don’t miss the opportunity to share the magic of dance, music and spoken word with your family and friends.
Ms. Parker Robinson’s numerous accolades include the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence (1974), Denver Mayor’s Award (1979), induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (1989) and the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame (1994). She holds Honorary Doctorates from University of Denver (1991), Colorado College (2003), Regis University in Denver (2008), an Alumni Award from University of Denver (2021), CU Boulder (2021), and is an Honorary Member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (2021). In 2011, she was voted an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, in recognition of her lasting impact on the Center. She is also an honoree of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. In June 2017, she received the prestigious DanceUSA Honor Award and in September 2017, the Randy Weeks Arts Leadership Award from the Denver School of the Arts.
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON Founder / Artistic Director / Choreographer leads the 52-year-old Denver-based Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD), encompassing the renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (CPRDE), Cleo II (her 2nd company), a Youth Ensemble, an Academy of Dance, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat theatre, and multiple community engagement programs nationally and internationally. A master teacher/choreographer and cultural ambassador, she and CPRDE have performed nationwide, throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the African continent, with recent international tours in 2019 to Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico.
Parker Robinson has returned to her greatest passion as a choreographer, creating Dreamcatchers: The Untold Stories of the Americas and the world premiere of Romeo and Juliet, in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. On the Edge… Reaching to Higher Ground (October of 2014) addressed resurging racial and human rights infractions world-wide. She re-staged two works (Spring 2017), melding classical and jazz composition with modern dance – Romeo and Juliet and Porgy and Bess. Copacetic: A Tribute to Jonathon “JP” Parker (Fall 2017) honored her late father. Lark Ascending (Spring 2018) was a collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic. Rhapsody in Black, a collaboration with CPRD Associate Artistic Director, Winifred R. Harris, premiered at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, University of Denver. In January 2019, in collaboration with the Denver Brass, she choreographed an innovative interpretation of Bernstein’s On the Town and Spring 2019 saw a collaboration with the Colorado Ballet entitled The MOVE/ment as part of the Tour de Force series at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In 2019, she set a work on CPRDE alum Gary Abbot’s UMKC students, entitled Check Cashing Day in tribute to the jazz genius of Bobby Watson and Milt Abel. In August 2021, she premiered Standing On the Shoulders, a work commissioned by the Vail Dance Festival. September 2021 saw the debut of Freedom Dance, created with jazz icon Dianne Reeves and CPRD co-founder and poet, Schyleen Qualls and in October 2021, she premiered R.I.Power, commissioned by the Colorado College Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs. April 2022 saw the premiere of her commissioned works for Motown and More, in collaboration with the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus. Her latest work, Sacred Spaces?, set to the original score of Adonis Rose, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, premieres September 2022 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Ms. Robinson has served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS, and for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as well as other national task forces, boards, and committees. In April 1999, she was appointed by then-President William Jefferson Clinton, with Senate confirmation, to serve for four years on the National Council on the Arts, a 14-member panel advising the Chairman of the NEA on agency policy and programs, reviewing and making recommendations on grant
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Ms. Harris, choreographer, artist, teacher and community activist, has created a significant body of work with a strong balance of technical prowess and gestural expression. Having trained under Cleo Parker Robinson, she danced professionally for ten years with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, before moving on to Dallas Black Dance Theater and a solo stint in New York and abroad. In October 1991, she relocated to Los Angeles, CA to found her own award-nominated contemporary modern dance company. In recognition of her dedication and commitment to underprivileged youth, Ms. Harris received several awards from the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles for her teaching efforts within that community. She has been on faculty at numerous universities and studios nationwide, including Cal Arts (her alma mater), Cal State Los Angeles and Spelman College. Having been on staff at the Dallas Black Dance Theater and the Colorado State Ballet, she has now returned to the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and the Ensemble as the Associate Artistic Director.
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE www.cleoparkerdance.org Located in Denver’s Historic Five Points District 119 Park Avenue West, Denver,
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE – INSPIRING MOVEMENT!
Currently celebrating its 52nd Anniversary Season, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is an international performing arts and education institution rooted in African-American traditions, dedicated to excellence in providing cross-cultural instruction, performances, and enrichment programs - empowering all our communities by cultivating healthy mind, body, and spirit development for intergenerational students, artists, and audiences.
OUR MISSION & VISION
Viewing dance as a universal language of movement that transcends boundaries of culture, class, and age, Cleo Parker Dance is committed to honoring diversity and inclusiveness throughout the global community. Colorado 80205 Ph # 303 295 1759
Robinson
ADONIS ROSE Composer / NOJO Artistic Director
Adonis Rose is a Grammy-award winning artist, composer, educator, and producer from the city of New Orleans, LA. He has played and recorded with the biggest names in Jazz, including Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Harry Connick, Jr., and Wynton Marsalis, and has performed on the most renowned stages in the world such as Carnegie Hall, Olympia in Paris, North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria, Birdland, Apollo Theater, Newport Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, to name a few. Rose has over fifty recordings to his credit (five as a leader), including six with longtime friend, trumpeter Nicholas Payton. In 2009, he won a Grammy Award with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra for Best Large Ensemble.
In 2019, Rose produced NOJO’s most recent recording Songs: the music of Allen Toussaint on the legendary Storyville Records imprint, which received rave reviews. He is currently working on several new recordings with the orchestra and his own ensembles and continues to tour, perform, and produce a range of projects. This past January 2021, Rose was named the New Orleans Music and Culture Curator for Jazz Ascona in Switzerland.
In January 2017, Rose was named the Artistic Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) and led the twenty-piece orchestra to its first concert season in October of that year that featured world-renowned artists Sheila E, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ledisi, Slick Rick, and Eric Benet. He has been instrumental in the organization’s success by developing educational and community programs, leading performances, and developing partnerships associated with The Jazz Market, a 350-seat performance venue in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood which is home to the orchestra. Prior to his role at NOJO, Rose served as the Artist in Residence at the University of Texas Arlington and Cadillac’s Jazz by the Boulevard Festival, produced the Keller Jazz in June series, and founded the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra, a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) was formed in 2002 and was designed to celebrate and fortify the American Jazz portfolio while providing infrastructure for developing the New Orleans Jazz industry. Led by Artistic Director Adonis Rose, this 18-piece big band has an ever-increasing repertoire that exemplifies the influence of Jazz as the grandfather of all modern American music. As such, the band and its members are true Ambassadors of American Music. The members of the orchestra span several generations and have over one hundred years of combined professional experience. They have performed and recorded with a veritable who’s who of artists across all genres. NOJO has headlined all of America’s major performing arts venues and clubs and produced the first local, ticketed Jazz Concert Series in New Orleans’ history. NOJO’s album, BOOK ONE released on World Village (Harmonia Mundi) won the 2010 Grammy Award for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble.” Their album that followed, Dee Dee’s Feather’s, was released in 2015, and features Grammy and Tony award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater.
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A recent release, Petite Fleur, tells the beautiful love story between France and the City of New Orleans. Adonis Rose and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and featured vocalist Cyrille Aimee come together to create a recording that exemplifies the cultural sophistication and collaboration between artists from different parts of the world sharing similar musical experiences. The album features classic songs “Petite Fleur,” “Si Tu Savais,” and “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life,” along with original compositions. This recording takes the listener on a musical journey filled with love, history, and inspiration.
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On their 2018 release, Songs: The Music of Allen Toussaint (Storyville 2019), NOJO takes a look into the mind and music of New Orleans’ piano legend Allen Toussaint, whose music has influenced generations spanning more than fifty years. In their inimitable swinging style, the Orchestra performs original Big Band arrangements of Toussaint’ greatest hits including “Southern Nights,” “With You In Mind,” “It’s Raining,” “Ruler of My Heart,” “Java,” and “Working in the CoalMine.” The recording features Dee Dee Bridgewater and several other special guests.
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PRODUCTION MANAGER Trever Jackson
RyanPIANOHanselerGUITARAriTeitelPERCUSSION
ROSANGELA SILVESTRE CHOREOGRAPHER “TEMPLE IN MOTION”
Ms. Silvestre is internationally renowned for her demanding dance training, the “Silvestre Technique and Symbols in Motion Process.” She has rigorously researched dance and music in India, Egypt and Cuba as part of her ever-evolving and eclectic movement palette. A graduate of the Federal University of Bahia, she has studied and helped to evolve an “Afro-Brazilian” dance with Mestre King, Clyde Morgan and Mercedes Baptista beginning in the late 1970s. She has initial training in classical Ballet as well as Modern dance in the Horton and Graham techniques.
In the 1990s, Silvestre toured extensively with jazz musician Steve Coleman and his group the Five Elements. She has set choreography on Brazil’s lauded company, Balé Folclórico da Bahia, as well as Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico Repertory Company, American Academy of Ballet, Roots of Brazil, DanceBrazil, Viver Brasil, Muntu Dance Theater, and the Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble. Silvestre is based in Salvador, Bahia and the U.S. and conducts dance training programs in the Silvestre Technique and Symbols in Motion Process throughout the US, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Africa, Canada and Europe.
Ms. Johnnie’s kinesthetic language is robust; a patois of African, American, and European ideals— from classical African dance to European classical forms, hip hop and folk. The infinite variation she offers through the work she creates or performs whether for large scale stage productions like Disney’s “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” and operas like “Parable of the Sower”, in academia, for commercial film and television such as the National Basketball Association and the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games/ Rio2016, or for world- renowned ensembles like Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, is layered with soul, intellectual rigor and curiosity, scholarship and grace.
MILLICENT JOHNNIE ARTISTIC COLLABORATOR
United States Artists nominee in dance, former Associate Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women, with choreography featured on ESPN, the Prince William Network and Sunshine Networks, Johnnie worked with A&R through Marvelous Enterprises, bringing her diverse experiences in theater and dance into the music industry. After choreographing Broadway-bound “Thoughts of a Colored Man” ,she received her MFA in film, specializing in production and story development. In collaboration with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, her NEFA National Dance Project “Bamboula: Musicians’ Brew” inspired her short film “Bamboula is Not Bamboozled” and with significant support from the National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago, she developed and produced “La DiaBlesse Curse”; both toured the film festival circuit in South Africa, Trinidad, and Tobago. Her hybrid concert film, “Pulling Back the Curtain”, released in 2020, exposed the Ballet world’s fragility and reckoning with the intersection of COVID-19 and systemic oppression. She is also known for her choreography in the major motion picture “Scary Movie 5” and is currently in post-production for her feature “Ma Negresse” featuring Grammy nominated fiddle player, Cedric Watson.
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This is Millicent Johnnie’s third collaboration with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. A child of South Louisiana and daughter of dance, Ms. Johnnie follows in the footsteps of her immediate ancestors and dance heroines. Her father, Donald Briggs, a zydeco and blues musician, toured with Bobby Bland and Buckwheat Zydeco. Her mother, Geneva Johnnie, Louisiana History teacher and historian, placed the biographies of Katherine Dunham and Alvin Ailey within her reach. Her grandmother, Alma Briggs, was a Zydeco dance queen who took her last breath on the dance floor.
As a teenager, Johnnie hosted a local social justice TV show met by protests from the KKK. She traces her professional determination and commitment to social issues in Black culture to this early opposition. She was a teaching artist with the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana (PASA) and after two seasons there, became an instructor with Universal Dance Association. While in New Orleans, she served on the faculties of Tulane University and Dillard University before signing a commercial dance contract with the Bloc South talent
About PASA: Performing Arts Serving Acadiana offers south Louisiana local access to live entertainment by nationally and internationally recognized artists in the fields of dance, theater, and classical music, with occasional forays into other genres. PASA also delivers performing arts activities—daytime performances for students, master classes, workshops, lecture demonstrations, and other offerings—in a variety of locations in the Acadiana area, the home base of Cajun and Creole cultures.
“Temple In Motion” was originally made possible by the Doris Duke Fund for Dance of the National Dance Project, a program of the New England Foundation for the Arts. Additional funding was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Phillip Morris Companies, Inc.
TEMPLE IN MOTION Cleo Parker Robinson Dance World Premiere 2000
FROM CLEO PARKER ROBINSON
*Cleo REMARKSII
DÉPOUILLÉ (BARE) Cleo Parker Robinson Dance World Premiere 2021
Winifred R. Harris Music Vassillo Tsabropoulos, Anja Lechner, U.T. Gandhi Lighting Design Keith Rice Costume Design Laura Kirksey
Rosangela Silvestre Composer Steve Coleman Costume Designer Laura Kirksey Costume Adaptation Ralaya S. Goshea
The body absorbs messages through symbols, becoming the source where language comes out and symbolizes the freedom to express its voice – the movement. – Rosangela Silvestre
Original Lighting Design Keith W. Rice Lighting Adaptation Trey Grimes Trio Jasmine Francisco, Corey Boatner, Tyveze Littlejohn Duet Ralaya S. Goshea, Corey Boatner Dancers Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Lauren Slaughter*
Choreographer
A moving meditation, this work pays homage to the consistent steady part of us that recognizes our connection to our greater being. Through triumphs and chaos, we move bare and baring ourselves to our ever-evolving lives. – Winifred R. Harris
First Duet Samiyah Lynnice, John e. Roberts Second Duet Jasmine Francisco, Martez McKinzy Third Duet Gabriela Maduro, Martez McKinzy Dancers Caeli Blake, Corey Boatner, Ralaya S. Goshea, Tyveze Littlejohn, Davry Ratcliffe, Topaz von Wood
Choreographer
INTERMISSION
“Sacred Space?” encompasses the collaboration between Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD), the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) and presenting partner, Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA). The work is inspired by the depths of spirit and faith that help us collectively overcome adversity, with the concept developing in the aftermath of the arson fires that destroyed three Black churches in Opelousas, LA: Mount Pleasant, St. Mary Missionary, and Greater Union Baptist, over the course of 10 days between March and April 2019. The choreography of Cleo Parker Robinson, paired with the original musical score by NOJO Artistic Director, Adonis Rose, leads the story and movement through a journey of fear and resilience, rebuilding and celebration.
The Mother / Preacher’s Wife
Cleo Parker Robinson Composer Adonis Rose Artistic Collaborator
The Daughters Caeli Blake, Jasmine Francisco, Samiyah Lynnice Christopher (The Son) Corey Boatner
Millicent Johnnie Costume Design Ralaya S. Goshea, Deborah A. Powell Lighting Design Trey Grimes, Anastazia Coney
The Voice of Mourning Tyveze Littlejohn
SACRED SPACES? Cleo Parker Robinson Dance World Premiere September 2022
Choreographer
Ralaya S. Goshea Rev. Toussaint John e. Roberts Rev. Sylvester, Sr. Martez McKinzy Rev. Richard (Deceased) Davry Ratcliffe
The Daughters’ Duet Jasmine Francisco, Samiyah Lynnice Christopher (The Son) Corey Boatner The Eldest Daughter Caeli Blake
THE MINISTERS’ TRUTH (A TIME OF PRAYER)
Tapping into the mind of arsonist Holden Matthews and his plan to burn the churches, from inception to completion of this vicious hate crime, we confront his devious plan and its manifestation in destroying the three churches. While he seeks to create doubt and fear, our sons and daughters grieve in their own way and space of time as the community strives to regain a sense of normalcy.
The community takes strength from the tradition of the music and dance of its roots.
The Zydeco Two-Step Jasmine Francisco and Corey Boatner, Samiyah Lynnice and Martez McKinzy, Caeli Blake and Tyveze Littlejohn, Dominique Willis* and Davry Ratcliffe, Ralaya S. Goshea and John e. Roberts, Gabriela Maduro and Brandon Penn
The Creole Waltz Gabriela Maduro, Sadie Sandoval*, Lauren Slaughter* *Cleo II
THE ACADIANA STRUT (A TIME OF RESILIENCE)
The three ministers finally share their truth, struggling with their conflict between anger and Rev.forgiveness.Toussaint
The pain, trauma, and mourning of the parishioners is evident as they learn the tragic news of the burning of their churches. The communities mourn the loss of their sacred spaces, these three black churches, through brutal acts of violence.
Mother / Preacher’s Wife Ralaya S. Goshea Christopher (The Son) Corey Boatner
Are all houses of worship targets for hate crimes and acts of violence? In answer to this question, each individual discovers their own personal sacredness. Through music and dance, the community re-discovers the joy of one another even in the face of tragedy. The Community Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II
Rev. Sylvester, Sr. Martez McKinzy Rev. Richard (Deceased) Davry Ratcliffe
John e. Roberts
THE DIRGE (A TIME OF MOURNING)
THE PLAN (A TIME OF FEAR)
SACRED SPACES (A TIME OF PRAISE)
The Community Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II
Exactly 200 years ago in 1822, the first African American church was burned. The pattern continues. The time for silence is over. The time for reconciliation is now. We confront the trauma of the burning of Denver’s original historic Shorter AME church in 1925, now the home of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. We remember the bombing of the church in Birmingham Alabama that killed four little girls in 1963. We challenge the world to see when three churches in Opelousas LA. are burnt in 2019. How long will this continue? How long will we stay silent?
WHY US? (A TIME OF AWARENESS)
THE CHILDREN ARE WATCHING (A TIME OF LOVE)
We honor the unwavering faith and resilience of the children who attended the burned churches. We continue to teach them to love, how to live and remain strong in the face of
“Sacred Spaces?” is supported, in part, by the Lafayette Parish Convention and Tourist Commission, Lafayette, LA, Ben Berthelot, CEO; and the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission, Opelousas, LA, Herman Fuselier, Executive Director.
Thegrief.Voice of Mourning
In every community there is that individual who preserves the ancient and time-honored traditions of physical and spiritual healing. In Acadiana, it is the treatur who brings these skills to the people in times of need, however small or great they may be.
The Community Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II
Rev Toussaint John e Roberts
The Treatur Topaz von Wood REJOICE (A TIME OF CELEBRATION)
Second Line Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
The congregations come together to rebuild in a spirit of optimism and hope for new beginnings. Each day brings hope for healing and strength as we honor those who celebrate the resurrection of our communities.
GOD IS THE ONE TO BUY YOU GRACE (A TIME OF VULNERABILITY) Those who teach forgiveness must also learn to forgive.
THE TREATUR (A TIME OF HEALING)
Rev Sylvester, Sr. Martez McKinzy
Tyveze Littlejohn
From the DC Metropolitan area, Ms. Blake began her formal training at BalletNova Center for Dance in Arlington, VA. She attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts (Washington DC) under the tutelage of Charles Augins, Sandra Fortune-Greene, and Katherine Smith. She has studied with various company institutions including Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem at the Strathmore, and Jazz & Contemporary at Joffrey Ballet. Ms. Blake graduated from Southern Methodist University, with a BFA in Dance Performance and BS in Education & Human Development. While a full-time student at SMU, she danced with B.Moore Dance. She has performed in works by Robert Battle, Christopher Huggins, Kevin Iega Jeff, Bridget L. Moore, Silas Farley, Nicole Clarke-Springer, among others.
A Kansas City native, Ms. Abel trained for twelve years under full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School. She studied in New York at the Ailey School as a Fellowship recipient, and received her BFA in Dance, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Her professional career includes performances with Quixotic Performance Fusion, the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, the Owen/Cox Dance Group, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company and as an Apprentice with the Kansas City Ballet. Ms. Abel is now in her eleventh season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and is also Rehearsal Director for the Ensemble.
COREY BOATNER Ensemble Member
WINIFRED R. HARRIS Associate Artistic Director
Growing up in Hammond IN, Mr. Boatner trained in multiple dance techniques at the Hammond Academy for the Performing Arts. An alum of Indiana University, he performed there in notable works including Kyle Abrahams Radio Show, Jose Limon’s Psalm, Andrea Millers Spill, Jerome Robbins Fanfare, and the original restaging of Twyla Tharp’s Deuce Coupe and Rennie Harris’ Home. He has also toured professionally with Elizabeth Shea Dance in Philadelphia and New York and performed overseas with Norwegian Creative Studios. After one season as an apprentice, Mr. Boatner is now in his second season as an Ensemble member.
CHLOÉ-GRANT ABEL Ensemble Rehearsal Director / Ensemble Member
CAELI BLAKE Apprentice to the Ensemble
After graduating in 2011 from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Mr. Littlejohn apprenticed with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble for one year. In the Summer of 2017, he toured in the south of France touring his original work Evolution of Love. As a choreographer and teacher, he has worked with many diverse communities. In 2014, while performing with Lexington Ballet, he taught children with specific disabilities, and while touring with Ballet Palm Beach, he traveled to Cuba where he worked with the elder community. Having performed with Ballet Eddy Toussaint de Montreal, Lexington Ballet, and Ballet Palm Beach (2015-2018), with leading roles in Giselle, The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rite of Spring, and Gatsby, he subsequently returned to the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in 2018. Touring with the Ensemble, he has performed at the American Dance Festival in 2019, the Vail Dance Festival in 2021, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2022. Mr. Littlejohn is now in his fifth season with the Ensemble.
Ensemble Wardrobe Mistress / Ensemble Member
From Houston, TX, Ms. Francisco began her training at the Fine Arts Magnet School, originally called Johnston Middle School, under Jesse Woodcock, graduating in 2012 from The High School of Performing and Visual Arts as a dance major under the directions of Luanne Carter and Janie Carothers. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts 2016 from Point Park University with repertoire from Jessica Lang, Terrance Marling, Troy Powell, Bennyroyce Royon, Garfield Lemonius and MADBOOTS. In her sophomore year of 2010, her student choreography project Tales of Courage was chosen to be featured at ACDA for the University. Six months after graduating from Point Park, she joined the Lula Washington Dance Theater in Los Angeles, CA for two seasons, performing works by Kyle Abraham, Donald Bryd, Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins, and David Roussève. In 2018, Ms. Francisco moved to Denver, CO, joining the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble where she is now in her fifth season as a company member. She also serves as the rehearsal director for the CPRD Junior Youth Ensemble.
RALAYA S. GOSHEA
Born in Detroit, Ms. Goshea trained at the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts and Oakland University, receiving her BFA. She has performed with the Brown Dance Project, Patterson Rhythm and Pace, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, SMAGDance Company and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC). After being a member of Cleo II, she is now in her eleventh season with the Ensemble and also serves as Wardrobe Mistress for both local performances and national touring.
TYVEZE LITTLEJOHN Ensemble Member
JASMINE FRANCISCO Ensemble Member
Originally from Fremont California, Ms. Maduro began her dance training at Yoko’s Dance and Performing Arts Academy and Nor Cal Dance Arts. She has attended Summer Intensives with the Ailey School, the Martha Graham School, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. She is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance. While at UCI, she was honored to perform as part of the distinguished Donald McKayle’s Etude Ensemble. She has performed works by Donald McKayle, Martha Graham, Darshan Singh Bhuller among others. Upon graduation, Ms. Maduro joined Cleo II, and after one season as an apprentice, joined the Ensemble, where she is now her second season.
GABRIELA MADURO Ensemble Member
MARTEZ McKINZY Alumnus Performer
SAMIYAH LYNNICE Ensemble Member
A Florida native. Ms. Lynnice began her training at Academy of Ballet Arts and Artz 4 Life Academy, Inc. in the Tampa Bay area. A graduate of New World School of the Arts, she holds a a BFA in dance from The Hartt School in Hartford, CT. In her youth, she toured the United States as a principle dancer with DunDu Dole West African Ballet and starred in the Chocolate Nutcracker as “Claire” and “The Dream Princess”. She has performed works by Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Doug Varone, Norbert DeLaCruz, Donald McKayle, Manuel Vignoulle, Brian Arias, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez. Her sophomore year, she performed at the prestigious Joyce Theater during the Jose Limon International Dance Festival. She has been accepted into various summer workshops including Dance Theater of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, RIOULT, Martha Graham Summer Intensive, Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and White Mountain Dance Festival. As a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, where she is now in her fifth season, she has performed at the American Dance Festival in 2019, the Vail Dance Festival in 2021, and the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2022.
Originally from Kansas City, MO. Mr. McKinzy studied with Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey under the direction of Tyrone Aiken. He was a company member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble for six seasons. He has performed with companies nationwide including Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Nu-World Contemporary Danae Theatre, Colorado Ballet, Boulder Ballet, TG Dance Co, Leah Glenn Dance Theater and Briah Danse. Some career highlights include premiering Cleo Parker Robinson’s Lark Ascending as the male lead in collaboration with the Boulder Symphony, and performing in several works by Donald McKayle including Uprooted: Pero Replantado, Crossing the Rubicon: Passing the Point of No Return and Songs of the Disinherited. He now joins CPRDE on tour and in concert as an alumnus performer.
JOHN e. ROBERTS Ensemble Member
A St. Louis native, Mr. Roberts first trained at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), graduating with a BFA from the University of Missouri Kansas-City (UMKC) Conservatory with an emphasis in Dance Performance and Choreography. His training includes studies with Antonio Douthit -Boyd, Alicia Graf-Mack, and Kirven DouthitBoyd (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre), Christopher Page-Sanders (Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and Nu-World Contemporary Danse Company), Rolando Yaines (Milwaukee Ballet), Jessica Taylor (DAMAGED Dance Company), Alonzo King (LINES Ballet Company), and Gary Abbott (Deeply Rooted Dance Theater). Mr. Roberts performed with Ballet Eclectica and COCADance and participated in numerous musical theater performances at COCA through the FOX Charitable Foundation. This is Mr. Roberts sixth season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.
A Columbus, OH native, Mr. Ratcliffe first trained at Fort Hayes Performing Arts MEC under Marva “China” White (Dance Theatre of Harlem) in the Pre-Professional program. Involved in numerous productions, he has worked with renowned choreographers including Laurieanne Gibson, Gil Dudilduo, and several of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” competitors. He spent a season with the Dayton Contemporary Dance 2nd company, while shaping a nonprofit company to advance professional development and community outreach through hip hop culture. After two seasons with Cleo II, and seven seasons as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, he now joins CPRDE on tour and in concert as an Alumnus performer.
BRANDON PENN Guest Perfomer
Originally from Richmond, VA, Mr. Penn began his training at age 10 with the Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center where he studied with Annette Holt, Rodney Williams and Willie Hinton. He later enrolled in the School of Richmond Ballet, studying under Igor Antanov, Malcolm Burn, and others. After three years at Richmond Ballet, he was accepted in his senior year as a trainee of the company. Upon graduation, Mr. Penn spent one year at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase College Conservatory for Dance, studying under Larry Clark, Taryn Russell, and Ted Kivitt and others. Subsequent to his year at SUNY, he was offered a position with Atlanta Ballet 2. After two years there, he accepted a company position with the Columbia City Ballet. Later, he accepted a principal contract with the Fort Wayne Ballet where he completed two seasons. He has now launched a freelance career, guesting with diverse companies, including the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.
DAVRY RATCLIFFE Alumnus Performer
TOPAZ VON WOOD Ensemble Member
Originally from Sarasota, FL. Ms. von Wood began her earliest classical ballet training under the direction of Wilmian Hernandez. At age fourteen, she joined the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School Conservatory under the direction of Ariel Serrano. Having participated in Summer Intensives with The Ailey School, Joffrey Ballet School, Sarasota Ballet School, and The Carreno Dance Festival, she later graduated from The Ailey School Certificate Program in New York. While touring with the Ailey Student Performance Group, she performed works by Ray Mercer, Carlos Dos Santos, Jr., and Earl Mosley. Upon graduation, Topaz joined Cleo II, and after one season as an apprentice, is now in her second season as an Ensemble member.
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CLEO II
Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director / Producer Director / Choreographer Adonis Rose Co-Producer / Composer / Director, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra NOJO Jacqueline Lyle Co-Producer / Executive Director, Performing Arts Serving Acadiana PASA Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director Rhetta Shead Production Director Adrian Ross Management ARE-Group, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra NOJO Chloé Grant Abel Ensemble Rehearsal Director Cedric D. Hall Cleo II Rehearsal Director Trey Grimes Technical Director / Lighting Design Travis Powell Projectionist Ralaya S. Goshea Wardrobe Mistress Deborah A. Powell Costume Design Davry Ratcliffe Props Master Amelia Dietz-Rowe Media Design Pat Smith Public Relations Jody Gilbert Playbill Design Mary Hart Playbill Editor Larry Alexander Videographer Stan Obert CPRD Photographer
Malik Robinson Executive Director
Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director
Tobias Juniel Director of Advocacy and Engagement
Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director Mary Hart Director of Booking and Touring Grimes Technical Director
Amelia Dietz-Rowe Marketing Manager
ADMINISTRATIVE and ARTISTIC STAFF
Abel Ensemble Rehearsal Director
Cedric
Micah Bursh Marketing
Chloé Grant
Shawnee
De Christopher Academy Assistant Manager
Trey
Communications Specialist
Rhetta Shead Director of Administration Hillary Harding Director of Development
Gabriela
Shelby Jarosz
Senior Director of Programs and Education
D. Hall Cleo II Rehearsal Director Victoria Shead Johnston Academy Manager
Maduro Academy Administrative Assistant Sasha McKeithan Academy Administrative Assistant Justice Miles Academy Administrative Assistant Xavier Russell Academy Administrative Assistant Anastazia Coney Theatre Lead Technician Conor Morford Theatre Lead Technician Pat Smith Public Relations BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gwen Brewer, Chair Cleo Parker Robinson *Founder / Artistic Director Malik Robinson, Executive Director Tyrone Gant, Treasurer | Debbie Herrera, Vice Chair | Shale Wong, Vice Chair Lisa Levin Appel, Toni Baruti, Christopher Cardenas, Darryl Collier, Tim Davis, Demesha Hill, Lisa Hogan, Tony Price, Maria Sepulveda, Robert Thompson, J. Matt Thornton, Josett Valdez Alfred Walker, Jennifer Wozniak EMERITUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judge Raymond Dean Jones J.D.* Chairman Emeritus Chelsye J. Burrows Michael Donegan Kevin Fallon Les Franklin Helen Franzgrote Marceline Freeman (Deceased) Rosalind “Bee” Harris Eric ReneeHughesHurley Henry Lowenstein (Deceased) Nancy McClosky Dawn FayeSchyleenEdmondNakamura-Kessler“Buddy”Noel*QuallsBrown*TomRobinson*JohnWagnerLesterWard&ReggieWashington*FoundingmembersoftheCleoParkerRobinsonDanceBoardofDirectors
ARE-Group (Adrian Ross) Pat Brooks Colorado Public Radio KCFR 90.1 FM Country Roads Magazine, Louisiana Denver Arts and Venues Denver Convention and Visitors Bureau Denver Gazette (John Moore) Denver Post (John Wenzel) Five Points Atlas (Major Morgan) JessicaTheGrio.comHortonJay’sValet KMGH The Denver Channel 7 Kolacny Music (Eli Acosta) KUVO 89.3 FM (Carlos Lando) / RMPBS Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission Jacqueline (Jackie) Lyle Stan and Chris Obert Queen Anne Urban Bed and Breakfast Reflections Video (Lawrence Alexander) Malik and Vianey Robinson The Parker and Robinson Families Rhetta Shead and Family St Landry Parish Tourism Sound Town (Mark McElwain) Springhill Suites Downtown Denver The Urban Spectrum (Bee Harris, Publisher) Westword (Patricia Calhoun, Publisher) Leslie Sue Parker Wallace LetitiaMarthaWilliamsWirth WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio 89.3 FM (Jim Engster Show) In memoriam Tom Robinson Marilyn Benson, Carl Bourgeois, Marceline Freeman, Robertta Freeman, Abuelita Olga Gonzalez, Jaime Gonzalez, Kevin McNicholas, Jonathon “JP” Parker, Martha Parker, Ron Thornton, James Wallace Special thanks to the Ensembles, Board of Directors, Sponsors, Donors & Foundations, Education Partners, Administrative & Technical Staff, Musicians, Guest Artists, Faculty, Students, Parents, & Volunteers of CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE, DENVER ARTS and VENUES, and the entire “SACRED SPACES?” community
