Cleo Parker Robinson’s legacy to be honored at MSU Denver

Growing up during the Jim Crow era, Cleo Parker Robinson learned not to take her freedom for granted. Parker Robinson, founder and artistic director of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance company, has since dedicated her life to making sure young people understand that movement is a right that everyone deserves.  

Parker Robinson’s life mission will be honored March 10-12 at Metropolitan State University of Denver’s 43rd annual Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship. 

Pillars of the African American population in Denver, Noel and Parker Robinson are known for empowering and mobilizing youth. Noel was instrumental in desegregating Denver Public Schools in the late 1960s, and Parker Robinson opened one of the first dance studios in the Five Points neighborhood. 

Noel, along with then-Councilman Bill Roberts, helped Parker Robinson secure the current location of her dance studio in the former Shorter Community African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1987. The historic landmark, which was purchased by CPRD in 2021, continues to be its home today. 

Parker Robinson shared her take on the power of dance and her company’s longtime collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance at MSU Denver.

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This year’s theme for the Rachel B. Noel Professorship is “Uplifting Community Through Movement.” What does the theme mean to you, and what is the deeper meaning of dance beyond a form of entertainment? 

Let me start by saying what an honor it is to be part of this professorship in Rachel B. Noel’s name. She loved what our dance company stood for. She loved the fact that I was a dancer and a choreographer. She knew I believed in education as a holistic way of life and the power of teaching within the world of dance.  

She knew we were bringing all kinds of communities together through physical movement, and I think that’s the deeper meaning of it, that dance is a tool for community-building and unifying people. It goes back to our saying here at CPRD: “One Spirit, Many Voices.” To me, dance is a mind, body, spirit and emotional alignment. No matter your age or whether you intend to make dance your profession, it builds courage, curiosity and confidence that can be applied to other areas of life. 

What makes the partnership between CPRD and the MSU Denver Dance program so special? 

It’s one of the few partnerships in the country that has a professional dance company and a university creating a joint curriculum. Through this partnership, students can study at the University but also get credit while working with professional dancers in our studio.  

There are countless people that come to mind who began their dance journey either at CPRD or MSU Denver and gave back to each other’s organizations, whether it’s an MSU Denver alum becoming an instructor for our company or one of our dancers who started at CPRD serving as a faculty member at MSU Denver. The cross-collaboration is there, and we’ve enjoyed working with the University for so many years. 

We were very excited to officially partner with the University back in 2018 and help establish the Dance major.

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If you could share one snippet of wisdom with future Dance students, what would it be? 

That opportunity you’re considering is for you, even if you think you’re not ready. Don’t underestimate yourself. Aim to continually train all your life.  

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve brought spontaneous opportunities to students that were out of their comfort zone, that presented them to unfamiliar cultures and movements. But they still showed up. And watching them from the first warmup to being totally transformed within a month, it inspired me every time.

And that’s what I love about MSU Denver. They will welcome everyone and anyone interested in dance with open arms. 

The Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship events from March 10-12 are free and open to the public. Learn more and RSVP.