Bem-vindo (Welcome) to you all as we share this extraordinary Brazilian journey:
What a blessing it is to be back at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to celebrate the beginning of our 54th Anniversary Season. We are deeply grateful to Denver Arts & Venues at The Denver Performing Arts Complex.
The performance you’re about to enjoy encompasses numerous elements – live music, drama, and fabulous dance. Each of the three works have been lifted from our historic archives, and re-constructed to honor their origins and present them with a new perspective.
We begin with “My Bahia” which I created, after working in San Paolo, to honor two legends of dance – the immortal Katfountherine Dunham and the incomparable Marceline Freeman. For me, this is a choreographic prayer that sets the tone for this concert, speaking to the deep and intrinsic spiritual beliefs of Brazil’s Bahia region.
Through the magic of “Divinities” created by renowned performer and choreographer, Carlos dos Santos, who is a former member of our Ensemble, you will be introduced to the complex and nuanced world of the Orixas, the gods and goddesses who shape the Brazilian spiritual traditions of Candomble’.
We had the great pleasure of premiering this work in New York City at the Joyce Theatre, which is unusual as we generally premiere new works here in Denver before taking them on the road as part of a touring season.
The title work of this concert is “Orfeu Negro” or “Black Orpheus,” created for CPRD over 20 years ago by Mestre Jelon Vieira, Infusing the classic Greek myth with a unique Brazilian twist, Mestre Jelon has blended folk movement, capoeira, and ballet into a unique and vibrant work. As the founder of Dance
Brazil, Mestre Jelon has been one of the most pivotal forces in bringing the many facets of Brazilian culture and tradition to the forefront here in the US. The simple fact that many of you have heard, seen, or even participated in the practice of capoeira, is significantly due to his influence.
The culture, traditions, dance, and music of Brazil have always been an inspiration to me, and it’s been wonderful to welcome some of our own outstanding Denver musicians to the stage to help awaken the magic of “Orfeu Negro”. We are also delighted to have this opportunity to bring four extraordinary musicians from Balé Folclórico da Bahia to Denver, under the direction of Walson Bothelo, to add the finishing touch to our celebration of this amazing culture! When Walson and I first met back in the late 80s, we talked about a collaboration between our two companies. Having them here with us at long last is the first step, and it’s our hope we’ll have the privilege in return of bringing the Ensemble to Bahia in the not-toodistant future, if the Orixas see fit!
This has certainly been an extraordinary year for CPRD. With our groundbreaking in May for our 25,000 square foot expansion, we launched a major construction project which now sees exciting newdevelopments each day. Our historic Shorter AME building remains the pivotal space where we continue to honor the preservation of our rich history and carefully considered connection to our
new wing, which will become our Healing Center for the Arts, with new studios, offices, and theatre space.
This expansion project, along with the on-going mission and vision of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, is manifested through the outstanding leadership of our President and CEO, Malik Robinson - and the perseverance of our extraordinary team - Ensembles, Staff, Faculty, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board. 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 artists, educators, students, parents, and audiences.
The summer months focused on numerous exciting events. Our 29th Annual International Summer Dance Institute (ISDI), the region’s finest summer intensive program, under the guidance of Victoria Shead Johnston, Senior Academy Manager, featured an extraordinary diversity of guest artists, culminating in our Annual Mile High Dance Festival which we moved to Benedict Fountain Park, due to our construction. This year I had the great pleasure of returning to Hawaii, bringing back memories that those beautiful islands were my initial inspiration to create our institute, modeling it after similar programs there.
On August 1 and 4, the Ensemble returned to Vail, CO as part of the Vail Dance Festival, considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious dance festivals. Both performances were sold out, with audiences giving enthusiastic standing ovations to the dancers.
On August 10, under the direction of our mighty Board / Gala Chair, Gwen Brewer, we presented our 14th Annual “Dancing with the Denver Stars” Gala – raising substantial funding for our community Engagement, educational and wellness programming. Declared by many as Denver’s best Gala, this exciting night partnered the dancers of the Ensemble and Cleo II with some of Denver’s bravest civic, community and artistic leadership!
In October we will begin our 2024/2025 touring season, traveling to numerous cities around the country. Early in November, the Ensemble will be taking our “Fire” tour to several venues in Mexico. It’s always incredible when we have an opportunity to tour internationally!
Even as our expansion continues to take shape, our theatre will continue to host Denver’s favorite seasonal family production, “Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum”. Detailed information is available on our website at cleoparkerdance.org. “Granny” loves to tour the world of holiday traditions with all of you, so we encourage you to join our mailing list, so you don’t miss out on any details!
Today, at the conclusion of this performance, it will make our hearts dance to have all of you join us in the celebration of Carnivale – sharing a spirit of Joy and Love that we hope will stay with you all long after you leave the theatre! May you each be blessed by the Orixas!
No Espírito De Dança (In the Spirit of Dance)
CLEO
PARKER ROBINSON Founder / Artistic Director / Choreographer of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD), now in its 54th Anniversary Season, is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Denver, formerly Colorado Women’s College (CWC), in the field of Dance, Education and Psychology. She began teaching college-level dance at age fifteen at the University of Colorado, and began her own company upon graduation from CWC, influenced by mentors Rita Berger (a former Balanchine dancer and Metropolitan Opera soloist), and legendary choreographer and humanitarian, Katherine Dunham.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance encompasses the renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II (her second company), a Youth Ensemble, a year-round academy, an international summer institute, a 240seat theatre, and an extensive outreach program serving communities throughout Denver and the Front Range. Expansion of CPRD’s current facilities through the addition of 25,000 square feet of new studio, performance, and office space begins in the Spring of 2024.
Ms. Robinson has collaborated with numerous symphonies, theatrical and opera companies, and acclaimed artists including Dr. Maya Angelou and Gordon Parks, Sr. Renowned choreographers Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, Katherine Dunham, Dianne McIntyre and Eleo Pomare have set legacy works on her Ensemble. Her operatic collaborations include Aida, Samson and Delilah, Carmen, Salome and Porgy and Bess. Symphonic collaborations include Carmina Burana, Romeo and Juliet, Lark Ascending, Bernstein’s Mass, Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Prokofiev’s Cinderella. Theatrical collaborations include the Denver Center Theatre Company productions of Dream on Monkey Mountain and Emperor Jones
Her talents as teacher, choreographer, and cultural ambassador have taken her world-wide, with numerous workshops and master classes reinforcing her vision of dance as a universal language. In 1993, a United States Information Agency (USIA) tour to Europe brought critical acclaim to her Ensemble which has also toured to Belize, Africa, Singapore, Nassau, Iceland and New Zealand. In 1996, the company participated in a USIA cultural exchange with Nairobi, Kenya that was praised by the International Sister Cities Inc. Other international tours included Cairo in 1999, and in 2000, a tour of Italy, and the opening of the Tel Aviv - Jaffa First International Festival during an Israeli tour. The most recent international tour for Ms. Parker Robinson and her Ensemble brought them to Bogota, Colombia in Spring of 2019 at the invitation of Tiempo de Juego. A Fall 2024 tour to a series of festivals in Mexico is currently in development.
The Ensemble has performed at prestigious venues and festivals throughout the United States, including Jacob’s Pillow, Vail Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts, John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts and the Joyce Theatre. The Ensemble is returning to the Vail Dance Festival in Summer of 2024 with performances in Avon and Beaver Creek CO.
Ms. Robinson has received fellowships from the Colorado Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Lila Wallace Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust Fund in Washington, D.C., National Dance Repertory Program, and commissions for collaborations with Dr. Maya Angelou and poet Schyleen Qualls. She has worked with renowned composers Jay Hoggard, Carman Moore, Halim El-Dabh, Ann Henry, and Howard Roberts. Her film work includes Run Sister Run, a Margie Soo Hoo Lee / Gordon Parks production about Angela Davis. Her Ensemble is featured in African Americans at Festac, the United States Information Services documentary on the World Black and African Festival on Art and Culture in Nigeria. She collaborated on Black Women in the Arts with Kim Fields and Stephanie Mills, the Jeffrey Osborne video Borderline, and two Denver Center Media documentaries - Pamoja: A Coming Together, about the Kenyan exchange, and Dancing Along the Nile about the Ensemble’s Egyptian tour.
Her extensive awards include the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Denver Mayor’s Award, the Kennedy Center Medal of Honor for the “Masters of African American Choreography” series, the “Pioneer In Black Dance” Award by the Dynamic Dance Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, the Huntington’s Disease of America “Distinguished Leadership Award”, the “Fairfax B. Holmes Community Award” from The Denver Links, Inc., the “Unsung Heroes Mountain Award” from African-American Leadership Institute, the “Civil Rights Award of the Anti-Defamation League” (ADL), the “Building Civil Rights” award from the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship, the Denver Metropolitan State College “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award for Service to the Community”, and the “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award” from the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver. She is an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, in recognition of her longtime commitment and lasting impact on the Center, and was named a “Timeless Legend” by the Denver Urban Spectrum. In 2017, she received the prestigious DanceUSA “Honor Award”. In 2021, she was named an Honorary Member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. In March 2023, Ms. Parker Robinson, along with the other four founders of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), was honored at the White House as the IABD received the 2021 National Medal of the Arts.
A member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities”, the “Colorado 100” and the “Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame”, she received the “Thelma Hill Center for the Performing Arts Award” for outstanding achievement in the world of dance, the “Woman Owned Business of the Year” by Colorado Business and Professional Women, and the “Oni Award” from the International Black Woman’s Congress. She was nominated by Black Theatre Alliance Awards, Inc. for Best Choreography in a Music/Dance Program for “Evocation of Memory”, and is a University of Denver “Living Legend of Dance”. Ms. Robinson was chosen, along with four other “Living Legends”, as part of Dance Women/ Living Legends, honoring women who have made a positive difference in the dance over the past 30 years.
She holds an 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). The University of Denver honored her with an Alumni Award in May of 2021. In Fall of 2021, she received the 2020 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honous Causa from CU Boulder. This year, she is named as the 2024 Professor for the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship. Ms. Robinson served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS, and as on the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. In 1999, she was appointed by President William Jefferson Clinton, and confirmed by the Senate to the National Council on the Arts, advising the Chairman of the NEA on policy and programs, reviewing and making recommendations on applications for grants. Ms. Robinson is currently 1st Vice President of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), an organization preserving and promoting dance by those of African ancestry or origin.
Since 2011, Ms. Parker Robinson has significantly returned to her greatest passion as a choreographer, creating and presenting Dreamcatchers: The Untold Stories of the Americas and the world premiere of her Romeo and Juliet, in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her work On the Edge… Reaching to Higher Ground premiered in October of 2014 in answer to resurging racial and human rights infractions world-wide. In Spring 2017, she re-staged two works, melding classical and jazz composition with the power, passion and beauty of modern dance – Romeo and Juliet and Porgy and Bess. Fall 2017 saw the premiere of Copacetic: A Tribute to Jonathon “JP” Parker, honoring her late father. In Spring of 2018, she premiered Lark Ascending in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic. Her Rhapsody in Black, created in 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 traveled to UMKC, Kansas City, to set a work on the students of CPRDE alum Gary Abbot, 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 her work Freedom Dance, created in collaboration with jazz icon Dianne Reeves and CPRD co-founder and poet, Schyleen Qualls and in October 2021, she premiered R.I.Power, an original work commissioned by the Colorado College Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs. Her newest work, Sacred Spaces?, set to an original score by Adonis Rose, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, premiered in September 2022 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Cleo Parker Robinson continues to be dedicated to celebrating the complexities of human experience and potential through the Arts and Education. Her life-long vision of “One Spirit, Many Voices” remains strong and steadfast, expanding to welcome, embrace, and sustain all people.
OUR MISSION & VISION
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE – INSPIRING MOVEMENT!
Celebrating its 54th Anniversary Season, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is an international performing arts and educational institution rooted in African American traditions and the Diaspora, dedicated to excellence in providing cross-cultural performances, and enrichment programs - empowering all our communities by cultivating healthy mind, body, and spirit development for intergenerational students, artists, and audiences. Viewing dance as a universal language of movement that transcends boundaries of culture, class, and age, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is committed to honoring diversity and inclusiveness throughout the global community.
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE
www.cleoparkerdance.org
Located in Denver’s Historic Five Points District 119 Park Avenue West, Denver, Colorado 80205
Ph # 303 295 1759
Carlos dos Santos, Jr. is a recognized dancer, choreographer and teacher. He has performed as a principal dancer with major Brazilian and U.S. dance companies, including the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Complexions, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (US); Grupo Salto, Bale Folclorico da Bahia, Bale Teatro Castro Alves, and DanceBrazil (Brazil), where he also served as a rehearsal director.
Mr. Dos Santos’ choreographic credits include works for Colorado Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, American Dance Festival, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and DanceBrazil, as well as his own solo performances around the world.
Mr. Dos Santos has been featured in numerous TV programs as an actor, dancer and model. His TV credits include appearances on PBS (US) and SBT TV (major Brazilian TV network), as well as coverage as a performer and choreographer in news programs around the world. His acting career included Medea Materialis for the New York Fringe Festival, Dream on Monkey Mountain with the Denter Center Theater Company, Chaplin with the Edison Souto Theatre Group, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands with the Fernando Guerreiro Theatre Group, and Yalorixa, a popular Brazilian soap-opera.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance festivals, schools and universities around the world, including the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School and International Summer Institute, DanceBrazil, Academy of Colorado Ballet, Youth America Grand Prix Ballet and Contemporary Dance Competition for Students, as well as master classes in the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Chekh Republic, Argentina, and Brazil.
The Folkloric Ballet of Bahia was founded on August 7, 1988 by dancers Walson Botelho (known as Vavá Botelho) and Ninho Reis. They were from the folk dance group Viva Bahia in the 1980s and started the BFB from hiring companies for shows with folk dances. From this, there was an invitation for a unique presentation at the Joinville Dance Festival, with the show Bahia de Todas as Cores, which yielded other presentations in the state of Santa Catarina, where the municipality of Joinville is located.
In 1994, he participated in the Lion Dance Biennial, in Lyon, at the invitation of the then director of this biennial Guy Darmet, made in Salvador. From this presentation, BFB began touring outside Brazil.
As a tribute to its thirty years of existence, it received the title of state public utility in the Noble Hall of the Legislative Assembly, in the Administrative Center of Bahia, in early July 2018 and at the end of the same month it was also honored in the City Council of Salvador.
Jelon Vieira is a Brazilian choreographer and teacher who has achieved major recognition by New York City’s Brazilian Cultural Center as a pioneer in presenting the Afro-Brazilian art and dance form, Capoeira, to American audiences.
In 1975, Vieira and fellow choreographer/performer Loremil Machado became the first capoeira mestres in the United States, with their first jobs in New York being capoeira demonstrations in Bronx public schools and weekly demonstrations in Central Park. Early supporters included choreographer Alvin Ailey, off-Broadway theater pioneer Ellen Stewart, and Brooklyn schoolteacher and martial artist Robert Cooper. In the 1970s, Vieira and Machado taught and performed in multiple locations across New York City, including the Clark Center for the Performing Arts and weekly performances set to jazz at the Cachaça nightclub on East 62nd Street.
For over a quarter century, as founder and artistic director of The Capoeira Foundation, Vieira has guided the dance company, DanceBrazil, through engagements across the United States, including performances at Spoleto Festival USA, the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. The company has toured in Europe, Asia and Brazil and has been featured on the PBS documentary series, EGG, the Arts Show and Alive from Off-Center.
Vieira has worked with numerous cultural institutions, including NYC’s Caribbean Cultural Center and San Antonio’s Carver Community Cultural Center. In 1999, City Lore, a New York City community organization, inducted him into its Hall of Fame for lifetime contribution. In addition to his solo performances and works for DanceBrazil, his choreographic credits include the films Brenda Starr, Rooftops, and Boomerang, and Orfeu Negro, commissioned by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. For Times Square 2000, the globally televised, multinational 24-hour dance marathon in New York City, Vieira was chosen to create the only Brazilian performance.
He has been a guest master teacher at Yale University, Oberlin College, Columbia University, Princeton University, Stanford University and in 2000, was the Bacardi Distinguished Visiting Eminent Scholar at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He has taught Capoeira to legendary footballer Pelé and American movie stars Wesley Snipes and Eddie Murphy.
He is a recipient of a 2008 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts. In his home community of Boca do Rio, a bairro of Brazil’s thirdlargest city, Salvador, Vieira continues to teach the art of Capoeira, building self-esteem, instilling self-discipline and raising social consciousness while becoming a vital part of their own community.
MY BAHIA
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE WORLD PREMIERE 2003
“Bahia is far from our African Motherland but its spirit is forever in my soul.” – Cleo Parker Robinson
Choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson
Music Brazilian Traditional, Babatunde Olatunji
Original Costume Design Ronnie Whittaker, Carlos dos Santos
Costume Adaptation Michael Battle
Original Lighting Design Anna Kaltenbach
Lighting Adaptation Anastasia Coney
Dancers
Gabriela Maduro, Lauren Slaughter, Nasira Watson**
This choreographic prayer was created by Cleo Parker Robinson to honor Marceline Freeman, who, for over thirty-five years, was her dancer, rehearsal director, friend, and spirit sister. It was Ms. Freeman’s dream to travel to Bahia Brazil to teach, study, and connect with the spiritual roots of Afro Brazilian culture. In 2002 that dream came true.
This piece is also dedicated to ancestors Baba Olatunji and Baba Ishangi, to the great capoeira master, Jelon Vieira, and to the people of Bahia - for the healing of body and spirit and the realization of a peaceful Vision for the World. The Homegoing of Ms. Parker Robinson’s mentor, the great Katherine Dunham at age 96, gave My Bahia special meaning, honoring this great dancer, teacher, mentor, and visionary, as well as all those who have passed to the Ancestors. We offer thanks to the Orixas for their blessing and protection of those who have gone on, and those who remain.
DIVINITIES
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE WORLD PREMIERE 2003
Choreographer Carlos dos Santos
Original Music Marcelo Zarvos
Original Lighting Design Anna Kaltenbach
Lighting Adaptation Anastasia Coney
Digital Graphics Design Paulina Nunoz
Original Costume Design Jane Nelson Rudd
Costume Construction Ronnie Whitaker
Costume Adaptation Michael Battle
The Orixas (Orishas) are the divinities of Condomblé, the spiritual belief system developed by the West African Yoruba people nearly 6,000 years ago; it traveled with 4 million of them throughout the 300 years they crossed the Middle Passage to the Atlantic shores of Brazil. Since they were not permitted to worship in their traditional manner, they created the spiritual practice known as Condomblé in which each of the Orixas is associated with a Catholic saint. Inspired by Yoruba legends, this ballet features nine deities from a pantheon of hundreds - and their complicated relationships with one another, humans, and the natural elements of the Earth.
In order of appearance:
Devrae Jefferson
Olodunmare, the Supreme God, Creator of all things, whose colors are silver, blue, and white
Lamar D. Rogers
Exu, mediator and messenger of the gods, he is a trickster spirit whose colors are black and red.
Adrian Dominguez*
Ogun, master of War and maker of Iron, who is very short-termpered. His colors are blue, white, and metallic with the Sword as his symbol.
Samiyah Lynnice
Oxun, the goddess of rivers and gold who is married to Oxossi and is both conceited and jealous. Her colors are yellow and gold with the mirror as her symbol.
Oxun Attendants
Caeli Blake, Nasira Watson**
Corey Boatner
Oxossi, hunter and god of the Forest, who is married to Oxun. Curiosity is a significant part of his character. Dressed in animal skins, his colors are green and brown with arrow and bow as his symbols.
Jasmine Francisco
Obá, hunter and warrior who was once married to Xango. She is very strong, but also somewhat shy. Her colors are dark green and brown with a spear as her symbol.
William Davis**
Xango, god of Fire, lightning, and justice, who has been married to Oxun, Obá, and Iansån. His colors are red and white with an axe as his symbol.
Gabriela Maduro
Iansån, who was once married to Xango and is the goddess of wine, fire, and storms. She loves to be surrounded by men. Her colors are brown and red, with fire as her symbol.
Lauren Slaughter
Yemanjá, considered by many to be the Mother of all the Orixas, and is the goddess of the ocean. Married to Oxalá, her colors are light blue and green, and the fish is her symbol.
Attendants
Caeli Blake, Kayla Massey**, Nasira Watson**, Koura Wright** *Apprentice to the Ensemble / **Cleo II
INTERMISSION
BALÉ FOLCLÓRICO DA BAHIA
ORFEU NEGRO
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE WORLD PREMIERE 2003
A ballet of one act, taking place in Bahia Brazil during a street celebration.
Choreographer Jelon Vieira
Composer Jarbas Bittencourt
Original Lighting Design Kim Palma
Lighting Adaptations Anastasia Coney
Original Costume Design Mary Jane Marcasiano
Costume Adaptations
Eurydice
Michael Battle
Caeli Blake
Orfeu Corey Boatner
Evil Melvin Sutton**
Mira Samiyah Lynnice
Seraphina Jasmine Francisco
Marujo Lamar D. Rogers
Alorixa (Candomble High Priestess)
The Community
Gabriela Maduro
Michael Battle, Katie Carothers**, William Davis**, Adrian Dominguez*, Devrae Jefferson, Kayla Massey**, Jesús Muñoz**, Lauren Slaughter, Nasira Watson**, Koura Wright**, Jasmine Valencia***
*Apprentice to the Ensemble / **Cleo II / ***Apprentice to Cleo II
Scene I
Orfeu sleeps, dreaming of Eurydice, the love he has been seeking all his life. Mira awakens him from his dream and brings him to the street celebration.
Scene II
As usual, everyone is jealous of Orfeu who is such a player. During the celebration, Mira tries to make the other women believe that Orfeu is in love with her. Orfeu sees Eurydice for the first time, and realizes this is the woman who appeared in his dream, the love of his life. Evil appears, and Eurydice is afraid.
Scene Ill
Orfeu returns to his community, where he sees Eurydice again. Seeing them together, Mira realizes that Orfeu will never love her—that he loves only Eurydice. That’s when trouble starts. Evil appears again, representing Mira’s anger and hatred of Eurydice.
Scene IV
Mira’s anger and frustration continue to build, and she confronts Eurydice and Orfeu. Neighbors attempt to intervene. Evil appears again, pushing Mira to kill Eurydice.
Scene V
Eurydice makes her transition to the Spirit World, guided by a candomble ritual. Orfeu visits the Alorixa, hoping he will be allowed to see Eurydice again.
Scene VI
The Alorixa allows Orfeu to see Eurydice once more, but he does not believe what he sees. He runs away, mourning his lost love with great suffering. He surrenders to Evil who kills him. In death, he is reunited with his beloved. They are united forever in the Spirit World.
Scene VII
In Bahia, the people still remember, and celebrate, the great love of Orfeu and Eurydice. Perhaps even now, there is another player like Orfeu, who is looking for his true love.
Supported by a 2002 Award for Choreography from the Choo-San Goh & H. Robert Magee Foundation.
CARNIVALE CELEBRATION!
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Cleo II, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Youth Ensemble,
Balé Folclórico Da Bahia, Members of Samba Colorado
Program selection, order, and casting are subject to change without prior notice.
Audio and/or video recording on any device is not permitted without prior written permission from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Failure to comply may result in confiscation of recordings and equipment.
WINIFRED R. HARRIS
Associate Artistic Director
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, founding 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. Having served on faculty at various universities and studios nationwide, including Cal Arts (her alma mater), Cal State Los Angeles and Spelman College, she returned to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in 2010 as Ensemble Rehearsal Director and became Associate Artistic Director in 2014. A number of her innovative works are part of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble’s repertoire.
MICHAEL BATTLE
Ensemble Member / Wardrobe Supervisor
A native of Detroit, MI, Mr. Battle began his dance training at Detroit School of the Arts at the age of 14. In 2009, he joined the Lula Washington Dance Theatre as a company member, and in 2019, joined Ronald K. Brown/ Evidence, A Dance Company as a company member. Mr. Battle has traveled to China, Russia, Haiti, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italyperforming works by nationally and internationally acclaimed choreographers worldwide. He has performed with Grammy Award Winning and Nominated artists Kamasi Washington, Meshell Ndegeocello, Terence Blanchard, Aurturo O’Farrill, and Jody Watley. After guesting with the Ensemble in 2022, he is now in his third season as an Ensemble member with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
CAELI BLAKE
Ensemble Member
From Washington, DC, Ms. Blake began her formal training at BalletNova Center for Dance in Arlington, VA. She attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the tutelage of Charles Augins, Sandra Fortune-Greene, & Katherine Smith. Ms. Blake has also studied with various company institutions such as Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem at the Strathmore, and Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive. Blake graduated from Southern Methodist University, with a BFA in Dance Performance and BS in Education & Human Development. While being a full-time student at SMU, she joined B.Moore Dance. She has performed in choreographic works by Katherine Dunham, Alvin Ailey, Donald McKayle, Robert Battle, Christopher Huggins, Kevin Iega Jeff, Silas Farley, Nicole Clarke-Springer, and many more. Ms. Blake joined the Ensemble in 2022. Now entering her third season, Ms. Blake has performed at Jacob’s Pillow & Vail Dance Festival with the CPRD Ensemble.
COREY BOATNER
Ensemble Member
Born in Chicago, IL and 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, performed overseas with Norwegian Creative Studios and toured with Anita Baker during her Songstress tour. After one season as an apprentice, Mr. Boatner is now in his fifth season as a Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble member.
ADRIAN DOMINGUEZ
Apprentice to the Ensemble
A native of Denver, CO, Mr. Dominguez graduated from Anderson University with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and has since made significant strides in his dance career. Most recently, he performed with Dance Kaleidoscope under the direction of Joshua Blake Carter, and previously under the guidance of David Hochoy. He has also had the privilege of dancing with Gregory Hancock Dance Theater, where he further developed his artistry. He has had the pleasure of performing works by renowned choreographers including David Hochoy, Joshua Blake Carter, Earl Mosley, Nicole Springer, Eddy Ocampo, Sidra Bell, Christal Brown, Alexander Diaz, Vincent Hardy, and Matthew Rushing. Additionally, he spent his summers training at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, enhancing his skills and artistic expression. Having been a guest artist with Cleo II, he is now in his first season as an Apprentice to the Ensemble.
JASMINE FRANCISCO
Ensemble Member / CPRD Children’s Ensemble Director / Company Assistant
Originally from Houston, TX, Ms. Francisco began her training at the Fine Arts Magnet School and graduated from The High School of Performing and Visual Arts as a dance major under the directions of Luanne Carter and Janie Carothers in 2012. She continued her education and received her Bachelors of Fine Arts 2016 from Point Park University while having an esteemed 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. Ms.Francisco moved to Denver, CO to begin her journey with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. She is now in her seventh season as an Ensemble member as well as the Company’s Assistant, serving also as the Children’s Director for the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy.
DEVRAE JEFFERSON
Ensemble Member
A native of Atlanta, GA., Devrae “DJ” Jefferson began his training in the Magnet Program for Visual and Performing arts at Tri-Cities HS where he focused on all genres of dance. With a special affinity for ballet, he attended summer programs including Metropolitan Ballet Theater and Lines Contemporary Ballet. Having furthered his training, he subsequently received a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem NC. Mr. Jefferson has performed with BallethnicDance Company and Dallas Black Dance Theater Encore. With extensive experience in coaching gymnastics and teaching a variety of dance techniques, he first joined Cleo Parker Robinson Dance as a guest artist for the holiday production Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum before becoming an Apprentice to the Ensemble. He is now in his first season as an Ensemble member.
SAMIYAH LYNNICE
Ensemble Member / Social Media Liason
Samiyah Lynnice is a Florida native. She began her training at Academy of Ballet Arts and DunDu Dole Urban African Ballet in the Tampa Bay Area, Fl. Miss Lynnice is a graduate of New World School of the Arts and has a BFA in dance from The Hartt School in Hartford, CT. She has performed works by Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Doug Varone, Norbert DeLaCruz, Donald McKayle, Manuel Vignoulle, Brian Arias, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez, and Katherine Dunham. Her sophomore year of college, she performed at the Joyce Theater during the Jose Limon International Dance Festival. She has performed with Anita Baker for The Songstress tour, at the American Dance Festival premiering the commissioned work Resist by Micaela Taylor in 2019, and the Vail International Dance Festival where she premiered Standing on the Shoulders by Cleo Parker Robinson in 2021. Miss Lynnice was nominated for a Princess Grace award and performed the prestigious role of Firebird last year. Samiyah is elated to start her seventh season with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, based out of Colorado.
GABRIELA MADURO
Ensemble Member / Props Supervisor
Originally from Fremont CA, 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. After one season with the second company, she joined the Ensemble, where she is now in her fifth season.
LAMAR D. ROGERS
Ensemble Member
Mr. Rogers is a performer and choreographer hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Having graduated from The Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, he later earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from The University of the Arts under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. During his college career, he toured and performed with Eleone Dance Theatre under the direction and mentorship of Shawn-Lamere Williams. He has trained at various institutions throughout the Philadelphia area as a scholarship student attending Koresh School of Dance, DCNS Summer Dance Intensive and the Rock School for Dance Education. Following graduation, he joined the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!) as a full-time company artist. He has performed works by Sidra Bell, Kyle & Dinita Clark, Merce Cunningham, Ulysses Dove, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Helen Simoneau, Rennie Harris and other acclaimed choreographers. He now joins Cleo Parker Robinson Dance for his second season with the Ensemble.
LAUREN SLAUGHTER
Ensemble Member
Lauren Slaughter, a Colorado native, began her dance training at Miller’s Dance Studio where her love for dance grew through ballets, showcases, and competitions. Lauren is a 2020 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis where she earned a B.A. in Biology and a Minor in Dance. At the University, she danced with the Washington University Dance Collective and performed works by choreographers such as Ting-Ting Chang, Diadie Bathily, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, and Dana Tai Soon Burgess. Following graduation, Lauren returned to Colorado where she began her professional dance career with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. With the company, she has performed works by Donald McKayle, Christopher Huggins, Milton Myers, and Gary Abbott among several others, as well as toured at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Lauren first joined the company as a Cleo II member, and after a season as an Apprentice, is now in her first season as an Ensemble member.
CLEO II
CEDRIC D. HALL
Cleo II Rehearsal Director
First dancing with the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre’s CONSORT Youth Dance Training and Development Program, Mr. Hall later became a full company member. He was featured in numerous musicals including The Wiz, West Side Story and Footloose, and has worked with renowned choreographers Terrance Greene, Dianne McIntyre, Gary Abbott, and Kevin “Iega” Jeff. After twelve seasons as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Mr. Hall is now the Rehearsal Director of Cleo II, for whom he also choreographs, and is an integral part of the Cleo Parker Robinson Education Department and Academy of Dance. He also portrays the beloved character of “Griot / The Preacher” in the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance holiday production Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum. Katie Carothers / Williams Davis / Kayla Massey / Jesús Muñoz / Melvin Sutton Nasira Watson / Koura Wright / Jasmine Valencia** **Apprentice to Cleo II
Learn more about the members of Cleo II by visiting our website at cleoparkerdance.org
Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director
Producer / Director / Choreographer
Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director
Rhetta Shead VP of Theatre Operations
Production Director / Stage Manager
Cedric D. Hall Cleo II Rehearsal Director
Jessica Horton Youth Ensemble Director
Michael Battle Wardrobe Supervisor
Deborah Powell Costume Design
Gabriela Maduro Props Supervisor
Trey Grimes Technical Director
Conor Morford Assistant Technical Director
Anastazia Coney Lighting Design / Stage Manager
Paulina Nunoz Digital Graphic Design
Jody Gilbert Playbill Design
Mary Hart Playbill Editor
Amelia Dietz-Rowe Media Design
Micah Bursh Group Sales Coordinator
David Andrews Archival Videographer
Stan Obert CPRD Photographer
Martha Wirth CPRD Photographer
ADMINISTRATIVE
STAFF
Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Ar tistic Director
Malik Robinson E xecutive Director
Rhetta Shead Vice President of Theatre Operations
Hillary Harding Vice President of Development
Shelby Jarosz Vice President of Educational Programs
Tohbias Juniel Director of Advocacy and Engagement
Mary Hart Director of Booking and Touring
Isaac Tafoya Comptroller
Amelia Dietz-Rowe Marketing Manager
Micah Bursh
Marketing Communications Specialist
Kollin Payne Grants Manager
Victoria Shead Johnston Senior Academy Manager
Kylie Straub Academy Manager
Amandine Aubertot Academy Administrative Assistant
Michael Battle Academy Administrative Assistant
Gabriela Maduro Academy Administrative Assistant
K ayla Massey Academy Administrative Assistant
Trey Grimes Technical Advisor
Conor Morford Technical Director
Anastazia Coney Senior Technician
Patricia Smith OnTarget Public Relations
ARTISTIC STAFF
Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director
Cedric D. Hall Cleo II Rehearsal Director
Jessica Horton Youth Ensemble Director
Jasmine Francisco Junior Youth Ensemble Director
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 / Eric Itambo / Kelli Kelly
Robert Thompson / J. Matt Thornton / Alfred Walker
EMERITUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Judge Raymond Dean Jones J.D.*
Chairman Emeritus
Les Franklin
Helen Franzgrote
Marceline Freeman
Henry Lowenstein
Nancy McClosky
Dawn Nakamura-Kessler
Edmond “Buddy” Noel *
Schyleen Qualls Brown *
Tom Robinson *
Lester Ward
Faye & Reggie Washington
* Founding members of the Cleo
Directors
BLACK ORPHEUS
Extends special thanks to The Ensembles, Board of Directors, Administrative, Artistic & Technical Staff
Guest Musicians and Artists
Sponsors, Donors & Foundations, Education Partners Academy Faculty, Students, Parents, and Volunteers of
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE
and
DENVER ARTS & VENUES at THE DENVER PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX
We also thank the following for their extraordinary support of this production.
David Andrews
Biennial of the Americas (FloraJane DiRienzo – Executive Director)
Pat Brooks
CBS Colorado KCNC4
Colorado Community News / Life On Capital Hill
Colorado Public Radio / Denverite (Eden Lane / Arts Journalist)
The Dance Edit / Dance Media
Denver Gazette / N. P. Report (J. Moore / J. Davidson)
Denver Post
Greater Park Hill News
Honorary Consulate of Brazil in Denver, Colorado (Mariana Esteves)
Lisa Kennedy (Arts Journalist)
Stan and Chris Obert
Reina Parker and Family
Malik and Vianey Robinson
The Parker and Robinson Families
Presenting Denver (Marisa Hollingsworth)
Rocky Mountain PBS / KUVO 89.3FM (Cenir Jacobs – Brazilian Fantasy)
Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD)
The Shead Family UCA Colorado Capoeira
Visit Denver
Leslie Sue Parker Wallace Westword
Letitia Williams
Stephanie Wolf (Arts Journalist)
