Denver tradition "Granny Dances To A Holiday Drum" returns for 31st season
"Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum" is a Denver-born holiday tradition, developed 31-years-ago by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
"I wanted to tell our own story. One that was really related to our dancers, and the fact that we travel all over the world," Cleo Parker Robinson told CBS News Colorado.
The show follows Granny as she tries to recount her career to her grandchildren, with the help of her guardian spirits: Shakti the Angel, Cantadodra The Dreamweaver, Griot The Storyteller. Seasonal holiday celebrations from across the globe are depicted in dance, including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, Winter Solstice celebrations, and several more.
"I want people to leave feeling absolutely connected and maybe learning something more about someone else's culture, and their own human spirit," Parker Robinson explained.
For the first time since the pandemic hit, the show will have live music led by Mark Caldwell. And this year two special guests will sing during the performances, Jocelyn Ford Keel (aka JoFoKe) and Rex Peoples.
LINK: For Tickets and Information about "Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum"
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance will host eight live performances of "Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum" at its theater on Park Avenue West in Denver. The performances run from December 10 to 18, 2022. From December 19 – January 5, 2023, a virtual version of the show will be available to stream for $5.
There is also a sampler version of the show with a digital study guide available for parents, students, and educators.