Cleo Parker Robinson Dance celebrates an exciting milestone

Denver, CO, Jan. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cleo Parker Robinson Dance proudly celebrated a notable milestone for their new Center for the Healing Arts with a topping out ceremony on January 8, 2025. Designed by Fentress Architects and constructed by Mortenson, the Center for the Healing Arts will more than double the current facility, adding over 25,000 square feet across four levels. The Center will serve as an inclusive hub for dance education and performance, fostering CPRD’s mission of cultural exchange and artistic excellence. It is scheduled for completion in spring of 2025.

“Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, a Colorado legacy for more than 40 years, is now recognized internationally for their cross-cultural arts programming,” said Curtis Fentress, founder and principal of design for Fentress Architects. “The new Center for the Healing Arts will be a revitalized hub for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) to further their mission and catalyze future growth. It has been an honor to work with the inspiring leaders of this dance education and performance powerhouse.”

A Visionary Design for a Cultural Legacy

The new CPRD Center for the Healing Arts features an impressive three-story glass atrium that sensitively connects the new space with the existing historic building. This striking, transparent structure delights dancers and guests with expansive views of the site and neighborhood while creating a space that elegantly bridges historic and contemporary architecture.

Inspired by the fluid motion and rich color palettes of dance, the new design integrates elements that are both beautiful and functional, such as colorful solar panels that provide energy for operation, and an expressive textural art installation that showcases the labanotation score of Cleo Parker Robinson’s iconic dance piece, Mary Don’t You Weep.

A Hub for Performance, Education, and Community

The CPRD Center for the Healing Arts will offer a variety of spaces to serve performers, students, and guests alike, including:

• 240-seat performance venue with collapsible seating to increase rehearsal space
• Four expanded dance studios, including one with a 28-foot ceiling
• Café and reception area
• New north-facing outdoor deck
• Offices for administrative and theatre staff

The expanded facility will support the growth of CPRD’s local programming and global reach, expanding the annual number of academy students from 1,200 to 2,500, arts-in-education students from 15,000 to 30,000, and theatre capacity from 10,000 to 20,000 patrons.

 A Community Landmark with an International Reach

Now in its 54th Anniversary Season, CPRD is an international performing arts and educational institution rooted in African American traditions and the Diaspora, dedicated to excellence in cross-cultural performance and enrichment programs. 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.

The topping out ceremony is a traditional and symbolic gesture that represents good fortune and safety. During the ceremony, the final structural beam is signed by project stakeholders and members of the design and construction teams. The beam is then lifted into place on the building, officially completing the steel framework.

• Digital rendering for the Center for the Healing Arts at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
• Topping out ceremony for the Center for the Healing Arts at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance