For more than 50 years, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble has been dazzling audiences with its dynamic, charismatic dancing.
Later this month, you can see for yourself why this Denver-based dance company has become one of the most sought-after dance groups in the country when they return to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time in two decades.
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble will perform Aug. 17 – 21 in the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket.
The distinguished modern dance company “is renowned for a dynamic body of work inspired by the African American experience and rooted in dance forms and traditions worldwide,” according to Jacob’s Pillow’s website about the upcoming performances.
If you have never heard of this distinguished dance ensemble before, that might be because they’re based in Denver instead of dance Meccas like New York or London, according to Samiyah Lynnice, who has been a member of the dance company for five years.
“Sometimes, people forget about dance in Denver,” Lynnice said in a recent interview with Jacob’s Pillow staff members about the dance company’s upcoming Pillow performances. “But we are doing such amazing things. We are blending past, future, present, and we’re also blending technique and raw passion.”
Founder and Artistic Director Cleo Parker Robinson is the heart and soul of the dance company and has created an encouraging artistic environment where dancers can flourish. “We have such a family connection that you get one-on-one time with the director, and she knows how to speak light into you,” Lynnice said. “I think a lot of us are here because of her.”
That sense of all the dancers working together towards a common goal is reflected in Robinson’s guiding philosophy – “One Spirit, Many Voices.” According to Robinson’s bio on the dance company’s website, that philosophy “is reflected in all she does, and is the vision she brings to everyone she meets, everywhere she goes.”
Another reason why the dance company has captured people’s imaginations in the past half century also has a lot to do with the dancers who belong to the group as well, according to Lynnice. “I think the dancers make it special,” Lynnice said. “Each one of us brings something so unique to the company. No one looks like anybody else.”
Lynnice added she cannot wait to perform at Jacob’s Pillow for the first time. “Dance is here to share,” she said. “You don’t want to always just hold it so tight to yourself. Share it with everybody, in the studio and on stage.”
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble program at Jacob’s Pillow is a retrospective of sorts, featuring masterworks that draw from a richly diverse and historic repertoire, including “Ragtime” (choreographed by Katherine Dunham), “Crossing the Rubicon” (choreographed by Donald McKayle), “Mary Don’t You Weep” (choreographed by Cleo Parker Robinson), “Salomé's Daughters” (choreographed by Nejla Yatkin) and “Catharsis” (choreographed by Garfield Lemonius).
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble will perform Aug. 17 – 21 in the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket. For tickets or for more information, visit Jacob’s Pillow’s website.
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