Warmest greetings to you all, We’re so happy to welcome you to this extraordinary evening of premiere and legacy, celebrating the triumph of the human spirit over prejudice and adversity. This concert is a trilogy of the heart chakra, honoring iconic dance masters and mentors and the great love they’ve brought to, and received from, their students, companies, and audiences world-wide. We’ve had the great privilege of working with the iconic Donald McKayle for over four decades as he has set fifteen of his ballets on my dancers, more than on any other company. He became my mentor and my hero as he taught me to trust my instincts, to laugh, sing, and sometimes even weep, during the process of exploring creativity and developing a work. Even as we mourn his passing just a month ago, I believe we are in divine time as we present the Denver premiere of his “Uprooted: Pero Replantado” in this Spring concert, and prepare to premiere his “Crossing the Rubicon” in our subsequent season. In so doing, we are honsoring his final wishes, insuring that these final two works are preserved and shared with the world. I’m so grateful to his wife Lea Vivante McKayle, Stephanie Powell, and Dennis Nahat for insuring this would happen at such an important time in his life. Tonight’s premiere began two years ago when Mr. McKayle invited me to the University of California, Irvine to see “Uprooted: Pero Replantado” which he had set on his students. I was deeply moved by a renewed awareness of how relevant to our world’s social, political, and cultural issues his works have always been. Guided and inspired by his incredible creativity, we have had the opportunity to gain an increased understanding of the human experience and the universal need for the healing energies of courage and commitment, compassion and love. His works are so relevant at this period in our history, and much needed, as he knew so well. We feel blessed that he was well enough to be present at the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference in Los Angeles this year and that he gave his blessing when Ms. Chloe Abel of our Ensemble performed the “La Nina” solo from “Uprooted: Pero Replantado”. His presence will be with us always and we feel the strength of his spirit as we carry his prolific and powerful legacy forward to new generations. Honoring this same sense of legacy, we are proud to also present “La Mulata De Córdoba” created by the incomparable Viviana Basanta, based on a beloved traditional folk tale from the Veracruz region of Mexico. Viviana is such an inspiration, carrying on the work of her mother, the legendary Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández Artistic Director of Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández, whose 100th birthday we celebrate this year through the photo exhibit currently in our lobby and scheduled to travel to other locations in metro Denver. It has been a great privilege to collaborate with Ambassador Rendon Talavera, Consulado de México en Denver and Janelle Ayon (Dancing Across Cultures) to bring this historic exhibit together. When I was working with Viviana’s company in Mexico, I recognized that she and I shared similar roots through the rich legacies of Katherine Dunham and Alvin Ailey and that her dancers were preserving the incredible legacy of her brilliant mother along with these masters as well as the rich African cultural roots found throughout Mexico. Both the photo exhibit and this beautiful work are so reflective of that spirit. Opera aficionados will certainly notice that our performance of “Carmen” will be vastly different from the production I created with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra back in 1988 at the Boettcher Auditorium. Last year, when I began to re-visit some of my
classical works (Romeo and Juliet / Porgy and Bess) I began a conversation with mezzosoprano Erica Papillion-Posey about her jazz-oriented adaptation of Bizet’s wonderful music. Her vision was perfectly in tune with my own. I wanted to take Carmen’s story and make it more relevant to current events and to transform this fierce and fiery woman from being the victim of a romantic tragedy to being a champion for her own rights and those of her community. That concept originated some time back when Harry Belafonte encouraged me to portray Carmen in a production of Carmen Jones, Even though that never happened, the idea stuck with me and I’m pleased to bring in to completion with my dancers and these incredible musicians. As we move through the myriad of details required for this production, we remain ever grateful for the tireless commitment and expertise of Rhetta Shead (Director of Administration and Marketing / Production Manager) and our gifted technical team of Trey Grimes (Theatre Director / Technical Director), Connor Morford and Anastazia Coney (CPRD Sound and Lighting Engineers). Our administrative staff, Mary Hart (Director of Bookings, Tours and Community Relations), Hillary Harding (Director of Development), Shelby Jarosz (Director of Education) and Amelia Dietz (Academy Director) are a powerful force, working together to tackle every aspect of the production’s and the organization’s needs. These amazing teams are guided by the mighty leadership of our Executive Director, Malik Robinson. As we approach our 48th ANNIVERSARY SEASON, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, through the support of generous individuals, businesses, corporations and civic organizations, continues to advance our artistic and educational vision into an ever-expanding community of students and audiences. You’ll want to keep your eyes on the media and our website – we’ll be announcing some very exciting news soon as we expand our presence in Denver’s Five Points community! Our 9th Annual “Dancing with the Denver Stars!” Gala on August 29th will see thirteen of Denver’s business and community leaders (including a VERY special guest to be announced soon) perform in support of our goals, enabling us to further our educational and outreach programming, and fund scholarships for a significant percentage of our year-round Academy’s enrollment. Through support from SCFD and other agencies and sponsors, CPRD works with over 40,000 children in as many as 40 metro-area schools, as well as educational and community facilities nation-wide. Our 24th Annual International Summer Dance Institute (ISDI), the region’s finest summer intensive program, will bring master teachers and dedicated students together for four weeks of dance immersion, culminating in the Mile High Dance Festival in our amphitheater. Visit www.cleoparkerdance.org for updates on the 2018 ISDI schedule and Mile-High Dance Festival. Don’t forget - our year-round Academy of Dance offers exceptional training for students of all ages and abilities. From Ballet to Zumba – it’s simply a case of finding your own way to move! The energy and vision here at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is something we want each of you will come to experience in a myriad of ways! It is our greatest hope that you’ll come away from this evening’s performance with a heightened sense of our common humanity, as we search for ways to overcome all borders – physical, emotional and spiritual, recognizing that in the spirit of Sankofa, we honor those places in the heart from which we’ve come and those that we are yet to reach. In the Spirit of Dance,
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON is founder and artistic director of the 47-year-old Denver-based artistic institution, CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE (CPRD), and leads a professional Ensemble, a Youth Ensemble, an Academy of Dance, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat theatre which bears her name, and numerous community outreach programs throughout Colorado. She is the recipient of honors and awards from corporate, civic, community, and artistic entities world-wide, and is continually called upon by a myriad of organizations and performance venues to bring her Ensemble for performances, teaching residencies and motivational workshops. A master teacher/choreographer and cultural ambassador, she and her Ensemble have performed nationwide and internationally throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the African continent. Ms. Parker Robinson’s numerous awards and honors 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). Recognized in Who’s Who in America Colleges and Universities 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). In 1991, Ms. Parker served on the task force for the creation of a permanent location for the Denver School of the Arts, Denver’s first performing arts magnet school. In September 2017, in recognition of her long-term commitment to excellence in arts education, she was honored at the Denver School of the Arts 7th Annual Fall Gala. In 2011, Ms. Parker Robinson was voted an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, in recognition of her longtime commitment and lasting impact on the Center. Most recently, in June 2017,
she became the recipient of the highly prestigious DanceUSA Honor Award and in September 2017, the Randy Weeks Arts Leadership Award from the Denver School of the Arts. Ms. Robinson has served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS. Ms. Robinson is a regular panelist for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as well as other national task forces, boards and committees in the arts arena. In April 1999, she was appointed by former President William Jefferson Clinton, and confirmed by the Senate, to serve for four years on the National Council on the Arts, a 14- member panel that advises the Chairman of the NEA on agency policy and programs, and reviews and makes recommendations to the Chairman on grant applications. In 2011 and 2012, Ms. Parker Robinson returned to her greatest passion, the art of the choreographer, creating and presenting two new full-length works, “Dreamcatchers: The Untold Stories of the Americas” and the riveting world premiere of her “Romeo and Juliet”, which was first presented in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her recent work “On the Edge… Reaching to Higher Ground” premiered in October of 2014 in answer to resurging racial and human rights infractions both nationally and internationally. In Spring 2017, audiences were thrilled to view the re-staging of two of her timeless works that meld the worlds of classical and jazz composition with the power, passion and beauty of modern dance – “Romeo and Juliet” and “Porgy and Bess”, and Fall 2017 saw the premiere of her “Copacetic: A Tribute to Jonathon “JP” Parker, honoring her father. In the Spring of 2018, she premiered “Lark Ascending” in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic. Cleo Parker Robinson continues to be dedicated to celebrating the 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 Currently celebrating its 47th Anniversary Season, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is an international, cross-cultural, dance-arts and educational institution rooted in African American traditions, dedicated to excellence in instruction, performances and community programs, for inter-generational students, artists and audiences. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is guided by the vision of dance as a universal language of movement - celebrating performance, individual expression, healing and peace thereby transforming the world into a sanctuary which 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 Located in Denver’s Historic Five Points District 119 Park Avenue West, Denver, Colorado 80205 Ph # 303 295 1759 | Fx # 303 295 1328 www.cleoparkerdance.org ENSEMBLE BOOKINGS, TOURING and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS Mary Hart - 303 295 1759 x20 / Mary@cleoparkerdance.org
Chloe Abel
Ralaya S. Goshea
Martez McKinzy
Theresa Berger
YooJung Hahn
Davry Ratcliffe
Tony DeBerry
Cedric Dewayne Hall
John e. Roberts
Alex J. Gordon
Jessica Horton
Bria Jarner Tyner
Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director Producer Director/ Choreographer Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director Chloe Abel Ensemble Rehearsal Director Rhetta Shead Production Manager Trey “Trezie� Grimes Technical Director / Audio and Video Design / Lighting Design Christopher Page-Sanders Artistic Collaborator to the Director Janelle Ayon (Dancing Across Cultures) Artistic and Cultural Liaiso Conor Morford Sound Engineer / Running Crew
Anastazia Coney Lighting Engineer / Running Crew Davry Ratcliffe Props Master Alex J. Gordon Costume Design Ralaya S. Goshea Wardrobe Mistress Mary Hart Playbill / Volunteer Coordinator Jody Gilbert Playbill Design Stan Obert CPRD Photographer David Andrews / Kenny Shead CPRD Videographers
Cleo Parker Robinson Founder / Artistic Director Malik Robinson Executive Director Winifred R. Harris Associate Artistic Director Rhetta Shead Director of Administration and Marketing Hillary Harding Director of Development Mary Hart Director of Bookings and Touring Shelby Jarosz Director of Education Amelia Dietz Academy Director Daniel Herrera Assistant Academy Administrator Victoria Shead Assistant Academy Administrator Nyah Gray, Stephanie Howard Administrative Interns Paulina Nunez, Shyla Kaiser Theatre Interns Pat Smith (OnTarget Public Relations) Marketing and Public Relations Contractor 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 Hughes Renee Hurley Henry Lowenstein (Deceased)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gwen Brewer Chair Cleo Parker Robinson *Founder / Artistic Director Tyrone Gant Treasurer Debbie Herrera Vice Chair Shale Wong Vice Chair Tim Davis, Hon. Crisanta Duran, Angela Norris Hawkins, Demesha Hill, Lisa Hogan, Matthew Keeney, Tony Price, Shelley Thompson, Josett Valdez, Alfred Walker, Jennifer Wozniak Nancy McClosky Dawn Nakamura-Kessler Edmond “Buddy” Noel * Schyleen Qualls Brown * Tom Robinson * John Wagner Lester Ward Faye & Reggie Washington * Founding members of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Board of Directors
CONMEMORACIÓN
DE CENTENARIO
de Amalia
Hernández
Photo Exhibition: Celebrating the Life Work of Amalia Hernández Mexico’s International Icon of Dance
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE THEATRE LOBBY MAY 4 TO JUNE 30, 2018
As part of the 125th Anniversary celebration, The Consulate General of Mexico in Denver presents the photography exhibition, “Conmemoración del Centenario de Amalia Hernández.” The exhibit displays Hernández´s most emblematic choreographies and images, as well as the people and places that she and her company met while on tour. The exhibition is displayed in The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre Lobby, from May 4 through June 30, during the CPRD Ensemble’s Spring Concert Carmen, with the world premiere of Basanta’s La Mulata de Córdoba, and the Denver premiere of Donald McKayle’s Uprooted: Pero Replantado.
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Samples from the photo exhibition, curated with the assistance of photographer Stan Obert. 1 Fiesta Colorado production (Stan Obert). 2 State visit with Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos, U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and Jackie Kennedy (BFdM archives). 3 CPRD performance of The Dreamcatchers, lost stories of American visionaries from Afro/Mexican legend. (Stan Obert) 4 Viviana Basanta with her mother Amalia Hernández in Dubrovnik, 1970s.
Amalia Hernández
Mexican Choreographer Extraordinaire, and Founder of Ballet Folkórico de México, changed the scene of dance around the world thanks to her vibrant, colorful and powerful performances emphasizing the artistic and cultural value of Mexico. Amalia Hernández was born on September 19, 1917 in Mexico City. After a long career and vast experience as dancer, teacher, and choreographer at the Mexican Academy of Dance, she decided to start a small dance ensemble. This group, first known as “Ballet Moderno de México,” gained popularity due to the imaginative choreographies created by Hernández. In 1959, with newfound and wide popularity in the country, the Tourism Board of Mexico asked Hernández and her dance company to participate in the Pan American Games of Chicago, Illinois. The group performed choreographies such as Los Hijos del Sol, Sones Antiguos de Michoacan, el Cupidito, and Fiesta Veracruzana among others. T H A N K
Y O U
T O
O U R
S P O N S O R S MR. KYLE SAMUEL
LEONARD & ALICE PERLMUTTER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
DR. & MRS. CHRISTOPHER LAW MR. J. ARTHUR VASQUEZ MR. STAN OBERT
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LA MULATA DE CÓRDOBA Cleo Parker Robinson Dance World Premiere 2018 According to legend, in the time of the Inquisition, a beautiful mulatta in the town of CÔrdoba, Veracruz, used traditional medicines to heal the sick. This was frowned upon by the church, but the mulatta continued to attend mass to pray for the people. An aristocrat of the region declared his love for her and being rejected, was enraged and denounced her to the Inquisition. Imprisoned for witchcraft and sentenced to death, the mulatta asks a guard for chalk so that she can draw on the wall of her cell. Drawing a beautiful ship, she magically positions herself inside as it begins to sail until disappearing completely from the wall. Choreographer Costume Design Costume Adaptation Lighting Design Lighting Adaptation
Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández Alex J. Gordon Roberto Guillén Trey Grimes
La Mulata (The Mulatta) Ralaya S. Goshea El Aristócrata Esposo (The Husband) Tony DeBerry La Aristócrata Esposa (The Wife) Theresa Berger La Aristócrata (The Aristocrat) Yoojung Hahn El Inquisidor/Sacerdote (Inquisitor/Priest) Davry Ratcliffe Los Esclavos (The Slaves) Alex J. Gordon, Martez McKinzy, Davry Ratcliffe, John e. Roberts Las Mulatitas (The Mulattas) Jessica Horton, Bria Jarna Tyner
Presentación –The Presentation Responsorio Segundo, S. Jose De Ignacio De Jerusalen (1710-1769)
Reto Entre Mulatas Y Mujeres – The Confrontation La Bella Cubana De Jose White (1836-1918)
Esclavos Y Mulata – The Slaves and the Mulatta Lonanba De Adama Drame (1996)
Sueño De Perdida Ante Las Mulatas – Dreams of Deception Sueño Tropical Gonzalo R. de La Gala de Campeche
Recompensa A Los Esclavos – The Mulatta’s Offering to the Slaves La Rumba De N. Guillen E. D´Flonora En Busca De La Mulata – The Aristocrats’ Search for the Mulatta La Niña Bonita De Manuel Saumell (1817-1870) Petición – The Wife Pleads for Her Husband to Remain Faithful to Her Danzón De Juventino Rosas (1868-1894)
Mulatas Danzando – The Mulattas’ Forbidden Dance Chuchumbe-Agn Inquisición Vol. 1052 Veracruz (1766) Juicio – The Trial Oración De Jose Maria Vittier (1995) Resolución – The Resolution Danzon #2, Arturo Marquez (edited)
Adivinanza –The Magic of the Mulatta Changó De traditional Arreglo Mark and Dan Weinstein Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández Artistic Director of Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández, México en Movimiento and Ballet de México de Amalia VB Hernández USA. Daughter of Mexico’s national treasure and world dance icon, Amalia Hernández and Argentinian writer Joaquin Basanta. Ms. Basanta’s training with contemporary legends, Alwin Nikolais, Hanya Holm, Katherine Dunham and Alvin Ailey facilitated her more than 20-year career as a principal and soloist with Ballet Folklórico de México. She has been recognized around the world for her interpretation of her mother’s works, Los Maya, Sones Antiguos de Michoacan, and her portrayal of La Juana Gallo from The Mexican Revolution. Ms. Basanta also directs México en Movimiento, where she has captured the rich history and essence of Mexico, past and present, with a vocabulary of movement that speaks to a sophisticated and international audience. This year she inaugurates Ballet de México de Amalia VB Hernández USA, with a series of workshops and master classes across the United States, as a satellite program of ACADEZ, Academia de Danza Amalia Hernández. Ms. Basanta has collaborated and created works for La Sinfónica de Mineria and La Sinfónica Naciónal de México. Her most recent ballets include the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, World Premiere of La Mulata de Córdoba, Maria, Lara y Sus Mujeres, Homenaje a Hidalgo, De la Caña a Carnaval, Mexico Ayer y Hoy and Fandango en Rojo. Her unique approach to combining history, folklore and contemporary movement, parallels the rapidly changing demographic and image of America today. FIRST INTERMISSION
UPROOTED: PERO REPLANTADO World Premiere University of California, Irvine 2015 Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Premiere 2018
This work deals with undocumented immigrants to the United States. In the late spring and early summer of 2014, I watched the reports and pictures of young children carried by their older siblings, parting from their mothers, climbing the border fences of our country in search of freedom from oppression, poverty, and desperation. I watched the young and watched the mother, sad, brave, and selfless. I read the reports, heard the talks, and started a process of getting in touch with the different aspects of being uprooted from a country, a culture and genetic memories, and replanting yourself in a different land. Besides personal past memories, I took a deep look at the whole generation of my students and their different ethnic backgrounds. Some may have come here legally or undocumented, or were already born here in the US to parents that came here looking for a better life. I observed them being American, yet carrying their cultural heritage and genetic memory and their upbringing by hard-working families grateful for the opportunities available to their children. This thought process led me to whole-heartedly want to create a dance expressing the story of one such ethnic group the closest to our borders, yet encompassing within it all others in the replanted part which will express their rightful claim to belong with no prejudice, with rights intact to their new land through theirs and their families hard work, sacrifices and dedication. Donald McKayle I remember when I first saw this work in California how visibly beautiful and thoughtprovoking it was. And now, in the light of current affairs in our world, I see this work as even more relevant than it was just that short while ago. Cleo Parker Robinson Choreographer Interpreteur Music Costume Design Costume Adaptation Lighting Design Lighting Adaptation Dancers
Donald McKayle Stephanie Powell Lila Downs (Excerpts from “Border�) Kathryn Wilson Alex J. Gordon Kenneth Keith Trey Grimes The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble
Mi Corazon Me Recuerdo Dancers The Ensemble El Feo Dancers Tony DeBerry, Martez McKinzy, John e. Roberts La Nina Dancer Chloe Abel Sale Sobrando Dancers The Ensemble Pastures of Plenty / This Land is Your Land Dancers The Ensemble Donald McKayle’s distinguished career began in 1948 and has spanned choreography, direction, writing, education, and performance in dance, theater, film, recordings, and television. Some of Mr. McKayle’s iconic choreographic works; Games, Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder, District Storyville, and Songs of the Disinherited, were first performed by Donald McKayle and Company in New York, and later by the Inner-City Repertory Dance Company of Los Angeles. Under his directorship, some of these pieces are being performed anew by dance companies around the United States as part of the American Dance Festival’s prestigious program, “The Black Tradition in American Modern Dance.” Mr. McKayle’s choreography and direction for Broadway musical theater, television, and films has been honored by five Tony nominations, an Outer Critics Circle Award, the NAACP Image Award, an Emmy nomination, a Los Angeles Drama Logue Award, and a Golden Eagle award. In April 2005, Mr. McKayle was honored at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and presented with a medal as a Master of African American Choreography. Mr. McKayle has more than 50 concert dance works to his credit and had worked in television and film and on Broadway, most notably as the choreographer for Raisin and Golden Boy. Ten retrospectives have honored his work. He was one of the first black dancers and choreographers to establish a hold in modern dance as we know it today, an experience that helped to develop the wryly distanced humanism that has distinguished him in part as a teacher and mentor. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is honored and proud to hold more of Mr. McKayle’s works in its repertoire than any other company. Stephanie Powell is a California native and a tenured Professor/Director of Dance at Long Beach City College. She has taught courses in Dance History, Classical Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Turns, Zumba, Dance Conditioning, Stretch and Relaxation, Pilates and Yoga. Professor Powell is a certified instructor of the New York City Ballet Workout, Zumba, Qignition and BASI Pilates. She is the principal interpreteur of the choreographic works of the late Donald McKayle, and stages his work around the world. Professor Powell earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Dance with distinction from UC Irvine as a Chancellor’s Fellow and she has danced professionally with the Oakland Ballet, San Francisco Opera, Donald Byrd the Group, Contemporary West Dance Theater, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has performed in Lion King and has appeared on television in the Grammy’s, FabLife, the Jay Leno Show and for artists such as Janet Jackson and Beyonce Knowles. Professor Powell continues to dance as a performing artist throughout the US, Australia, Europe and Asia. SECOND INTERMISSION
CARMEN:
A Hopeful Journey
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance World Premiere, 2018
I have chosen to give this classic operatic tale a more contemporary approach in both the style of the music and the adaptation of the story – taking the narrative out of its original setting in Seville, Spain and moving it to the US / Mexico border. Rather than the traditional setting that was part of my full-length production in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Boettcher Concert Hall in 1988, I chose to stage this newest version with an innovative jazz/bossa nova rhythm inspired by Erica Papillion-Posey, leaving the audience with a fresh perspective resonant with the courage, compassion, and hope of Dreamers, immigrants, and the families who live with the daily fear of deportation and loss. Cleo Parker Robinson Choreographer Collaborator Composer Costume Design Lighting Design Soundscape Mezzo-soprano/Music Director Piano Bassist Percussion
Cleo Parker Robinson Christopher Page-Sanders Georges Bizet Cleo Parker Robinson, Alex J. Gordon Trey Grimes Cleo Parker Robinson, Christopher Page-Sanders Erica Papillion-Posey Kevin Klemm Andrew Rose Alex Tripp
Carmen Don Jose (Carmen’s Lawyer) Carmen’s Friends The Rose Man The ICE Agents The Cantina Patrons
Chloe Abel Davry Ratcliffe Ralaya S. Goshea, Yoojung Hahn Alex J. Gordon Tony DeBerry, Martez McKinazy, John e. Roberts Chloe Abel with Theresa Berger and John e. Roberts Ralaya Goshea and Martez McKinzy, Yoojung Hahn and Alex J. Gordon, Jessica Horton and Davry Ratcliffe Bria Jarna Tyner and Tony DeBerry
Carmen’s Cantina “Les Tringles des Sistrey Tintaient” (Gypsy Song / Habanera) Carmen, the Friends, the Rose Man, the Casntina Patrons Defying the Tarot “En vain pour eviter” Carmen, the Friends The Arrest “Pres des ramparts de Seville” Carmen, the Friends, the ICE Agents, the Rose Man Seeking Justice “Seguidilla” Carmen, Don Jose The Strength of Hope “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Habanera) Carmen, the Friends, the Rose Man, the Cantina Patrons
ERICA PAPILLION-POSEY
MEZZO-SOPRANO
Equally at home in the jazz and classical idioms, Ms. PapillionPosey is again featured in a Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble performance, having been a primary soloist in the Ensemble’s Romeo and Juliet concert in Spring of 2017. That concert included a performance of Porgy and Bess with Ms. Papillion-Posey singing the role of “Bess”. In the award winning, 2016 Aurora Fox Theatre production of Porgy and Bess, she was featured as Clara. Her newest recording Deep Like… was released in Spring of 2017. The Louisiana native’s 2015 debut recording, The Standard Reimagined, when jazz… a tribute to the era of the elegant jazz siren, was accepted for a 2016 Grammy nomination. Her professional North American debut in 2013 with Miami Lyric Opera garnered high praise from reviewers and audiences alike for her role as Bizet’s Carmen – a role she has subsequently reprised world-wide, and made her own with a new and innovative interpretation. In 2010, she made her international operatic debut at the Tuscia Opera Festival, with maestro Stefano Vignati. As a classical concert artist and recitalist, her repertoire and accolades are extensive, both nationally and internationally. An avid writer, Ms. Papillion-Posey released her first book, Musings from the Mind of a Mezzo: poetry & prose of passion, pain and plight in 2015 - a deeply personal compilation chronicling many of her life experiences. Holding Masters’, Bachelors’ and Associate degrees from various prestigious institutions, she is also a member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys), Italian Institute of Denver, L’Alliance Française de Denver, Friends of Music at Metro and serves as board advisor on performing arts to Grand Design Inc.
GEORGES BIZET was a French composer of the romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, which has become one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertoire. The original production of Carmen, was delayed because of fears that its themes of betrayal and murder would offend audiences. After its premiere in 1875, Bizet was convinced that the work was a failure and died of a heart attack three months later, unaware that it would prove a spectacular and enduring success. After years of neglect, his works began to be performed more frequently in the 20th century. Later commentators have acclaimed him as a composer of brilliance and originality whose premature death was a significant loss to French musical theatre.
Program selection and order, as well as casting, are subject to change without prior notice. Audio and/or video recordings of any stype (including cell phones and tablets) is prohibited without prior written consent from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
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. Chloe Abel: 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, and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. After one season with Cleo II, Ms. Abel is now in her sixth season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and is Rehearsal Director for the Ensemble as well as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance faculty. Theresa Berger: Originally from Ankeny, IA, Ms. Berger, under the direction of Nancy Moore Overturff, studied and performed with the Iowa Dance Theatre and the Performing Edge, Moore Dance’s pre-professional company. With a BFA in Dance from the University of Iowa, she moved to Denver where she danced with both Kim Robards Dance and Moraporvida Contemporary Dance. Now in her second season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble after one season as an apprentice, she is also a faculty member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance.
Tony DeBerry: A native of Cleveland, Ohio and graduate of Bowling Green State University, Mr. DeBerry holds a Bachelors’ of Science in Education. As an educator for Cuyahoga Community College Performance Artist Academy, and the Cleveland School of the Arts, he collaborated with the City of Cleveland Department of Recreation as choreographer and counselor to inner city youth. He has performed for the NAACP, United Black Funds, Canton Symphony, IABD (International Association of Blacks In Dance), and the Karamu House of Theatre and has choreographed and produced a dance video compilation featuring R & B diva Chrisette Michelle’s single “Make Us One” - the first project launched through his vision of Kreative Minds Through Performance. Following one season as a member of Cleo II, Mr. DeBerry is now an instructor in the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance and is in his first season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble Alex J. Gordon: Originally from Beaumont, TX, Mr. Gordon began his formal dance training at Washington University in St. Louis, receiving his BA in architecture and minor in modern dance. While in college, he joined The Slaughter Project Dance company and guested with numerous Saint Louis based companies and performance artists. After attending the ADF (American Dance Festival) on a work-study scholarship, he joined The Missouri Contemporary Ballet in Columbia, where he also became the resident costume designer. He guested as a dancer and costume designer for Deeply Rooted Young Choreographers Showcase, subsequently moving to Chicago to join Thodos Dance Chicago and become resident costume designer for the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. While in Chicago, Mr. Gordon costumed for many local dance companies and schools including Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, Chicago Dance Crash, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and Chicago Academy for the Arts, and taught for Ballet Chicago, Glenwood Dance Studios and The Boys & Girls Club. This is Mr. Gordon’s first season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance 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 Bachelor’s in Performing Arts. She has performed with the Brown Dance Project, Patterson Rhythm and Pace, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, SMAGDance Company and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC). She choreographed a full concert for Triple Threat Productions Company of Rochester, Michigan, and set a work on the University of Dayton’s Dance Ensemble. A member of Cleo II for two seasons, she is now in her fifth season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.
YooJung Hahm: Born in Seoul, Korea, Ms. Hahm began her training with the Muyoungnara academy in Ilsan, Korea. Her studies in a myriad of techniques also included the Seoul Arts High School and the Korea National University of Arts in Korea. Near the conclusion of her studies at the KNUA, she received a scholarship from Alvin Ailey in NYC through her performances at the Seoul International Dance Competition. After graduation she moved to Manhattan, training in Horton technique for a year at the Ailey Dance School. She also performed at LAUNCH:10 with the North West Dance Project in Portland. This is Ms. Hahm’s second season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Cedric Dewayne Hall: 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. This is Mr. Hall’s eleventh season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble where he also serves on faculty with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance and as Director of the CPRD Junior Youth Ensemble.
Jessica Horton: Born in Tuscaloosa, AL, Ms. Horton trained at Shelton State Dance Department and the Alabama School of Fine Arts, receiving the Woodward Dishion Memorial Award. She also trained through The Ailey School, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference. With a BFA in Dance from Wright State University, she performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II from 2009-2011, and as a post-graduate, was a counselor for Summerdance with Ballet Academy East in New York. A member of Cleo II and an apprentice to the Ensemble for two seasons each, she is now in her second season as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and serves as Director of the CPRD Youth Ensemble. Martez McKinzy: Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. McKinzy studied with Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey under the direction of Tyrone Aiken. Having been a member of Cleo II and an apprentice for one season each, he is now in his second season as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and is also a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance faculty.
Davry Ratcliffe: Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Ratcliffe began training at Fort Hayes Performing Arts MEC under Marva “China” White (Dance Theatre of Harlem) in the Pre-Professional program. He has been involved in creating multiple productions and 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 non-profit company to advance professional development and community outreach through hip hop culture. After two seasons with Cleo II, he is now in his second season as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and on faculty with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance. John e. Roberts: Born and raised in St. Louis, MO. Mr. Roberts first trained there at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) and subsequently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Missouri Kansas-City (UMKC) Conservatory with an emphasis in Dance Performance and Choreography. His training has also included studies with Antonio Douthit -Boyd, Alicia Graf-Mack, and Kirven Douthit-Boyd (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 also participated in numerous musical theater performances at COCA through the FOX Charitable Foundation. This is Mr. Roberts first season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Bria Jarna Tyner: A native of Fairfield, AL, Ms. Tyner began her dance training at The Ebony Arrington Dance and Performance School of Birmingham, AL, studying for ten years under the direction of Ebony Arrington and Bronze McGhee. Continuing her training for three more years at The Pointe Dance Arts under Angela Walker before studying under Cornelius Carter at the University of Alabama, she received her BFA in Dance. This is Ms. Tyner’s second season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and she is also a faculty member with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE Ensemble, Board of Directors, Sponsors, Education Partners, Administrative & Technical Staff, Youth Ensembles, Musicians, Guest Artists, Faculty, Students, Parents, & Volunteers of CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE We also thank the following for their extraordinary support of this production. David Andrews Adrianna Abarca Artreach Janelle Ayon (Dancing Across Cultures) Belmar Frame and Arts Martha Benson Pat Brooks City of Aurora, Office of International and Immigrant Affairs Colorado Fabrics (Meghan Hart) Colorado High School Activities Association (Tom Robinson) Denver City Council El Comercio De Colorado The Denver Post Community 5 Points News (Brother Jeff Fard) William and Karen Fisher Marceline Freeman (In memoriam) Robertta Freeman (In memoriam) Abuelita Olga Rodriguez (In Memoriam) Latino Cultural Arts Center Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Law Dennis Nahat
National Endowment for the Arts Stan and Chris Obert Christopher Page-Sanders Jonathon “JP� Parker (In memoriam) Martha Parker (In memoriam) Reina Parker and Family Leonard and Alice Perlmutter Charitable Foundation Publication Printers Malik and Vianey Robinson The Robinson Family Rocky Mountain Public Media Kyle Samuel Sawaya Law Firm Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) El Seminario Rhetta and Kenny Shead Ambassador Rendon Talavera, Consulado de Mexico en Denver The Urban Spectrum (Bee Harris) J. Arthur Vasquez Visit Denver Ms. Lea Vivante McKayle Leslie Sue Parker Wallace and James Wallace Letitia Williams