Old "kisses" new at new Cleo Parker Robinson Dance facility in Denver
Members of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance ensemble rehearse in the largest of the new dance studios at the CPRD Center for Hope & Healing. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide an abundance of natural light. They work on sprung floors which are made for dance, and the space is fully soundproofed.
"Something that I've dreamed about for years and years," Cleo Parker Robinson told CBS News Colorado.
Parker Robinson founded the dance company in a loft space on Lawrence Street in 1970, then in 1988 moved into the Historic Shorter AME church building carving out a theater and dance studios out of the existing space. Now 55 years later, the company is expanding into a brand new facility specifically designed to house the arts.
"The intent is that it does serve the whole community not only from an artistic perspective but also from a civic life perspective," said Malik Robinson, President & CEO of CPRD.
The centerpiece of the new building is the 240-seat flex space theater. The seating is retractable allowing the space to become a Black Box venue, a film screening facility, or a proscenium stage. CPRD will continue to run the Shorter AME building, but the new 25,000 square foot facility will allow them to expand programming in all areas including arts and wellness, arts and education, and partnerships with other performing arts organizations.
"What that means for those school partners is that it gives them an opportunity to come to a dynamic theater space and to be inspired by not only the work that's on the stage but the building that they're coming into," Robinson added.
Building 25,000-square-feet on a 6,000-square-foot plot of land comes with its own challenges not to mention protecting the historic church building next door.
"We were attaching to the existing building which is a historical landmark and what that means is the way that it's registered you can alter or change the exterior facade so making sure we're preserving that through the construction process is really important. All while the Cleo team continued with their activities in the existing space," said Tori Vendegna, Project Manager with Mortenson who did the construction.
"We call it 'the kiss' which is the joining of the new building to the older building," said Curtis Fentress, architect with Fentress Studio: A Populous Company. "A long class area which allows the snow and ice to run off the roof of the Shorter church and land and get taken off the building."
The new sleek Center for Hope & Healing is a great contrast to the hundred-year-old church.
"We have electrochromic glass on the front of the building where there's a lot of sun and that changes to be more dense when the sun is out," Fentress explained.
The east wall is decorated with labanotation which is the written score of choreographed movement. The labanotation on the building represents the movement of Mary Don't You Weep a dance Cleo Parker Robinson choreographed as part of her masterwork, Spiritual Suite.
The Center also includes new business and office space which will allow for more growth.
For Cleo Parker Robinson, this dream come true is a statement, "Being able to say to our community, 'Welcome! Come into the dance, dance, bring your family, bring your heritage, bring your ancestors, bring you...and let's experience life together."