“Dancin’ With Cleo” Gala slated for October 21 in celebration of 35th Anniversary

After an extensive search, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is thrilled to announce its selection of Donna Smith, a longtime supporter of the organization, as Executive Director. With more than two decades of experience in the performing arts, Smith brings a powerful combination of vision and skill to one of Denver’s true cultural gems.

"Donna has been a true force, working with the arts and the Denver community for years, always with total dedication and commitment,” says Cleo Parker Robinson, founder and Artistic Director. “We welcome her expertise and passion, and are thrilled to have her join our team."

As an advocate of the cultural and economic impact of the arts, Smith’s credentials are unmatched. Selected to Mayor Webb’s arts staff in 1998, Smith most recently served as Performing Arts Coordinator at the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, where she led grants and event management, fundraising and strategic planning. Smith produced several high-profile events for the city, including the Colorado Performing Arts Festival and the annual Mayor’s Awards for Excellence. Earlier this year, Smith was appointed by Mayor Hickenlooper to the Denver Commission on People with Disabilities.

Smith has an extensive personal history with CPRD and its visionary namesake, from working backstage on the 1986 production of The Emperor Jones to conceptualizing and producing Denver’s “Five Points Jazz” and “Midsummer Night’s Dance Concert,” two free city events that included performances from the company. Smith is a member of the organization’s guild. Smith holds a BA in Theatre from Montclair University with additional dramatic studies from Middlesex University in London. She is a graduate of the Colorado Business Committee in the Arts’ Leadership Arts and has been a panelist for numerous arts workshops.

”I am truly honored to join Cleo Parker Robinson Dance as Executive Director,” says Smith. “I look forward to working with the incomparable Cleo Parker Robinson and the entire company to focus on stellar artistry, along with substantive education and community endeavors, while preparing strategies to build our capacity for the future. Having the support of an invested, high-caliber board of directors will be a significant asset in these efforts.”    

Tom Williams, President and CEO of the Williams Group, LLC, chaired the search committee, with assistance from Richard Male & Associates. Smith joins CPRD at a critical time of reorganization and growth. In early July, CPRD elected four community leaders to the Board’s Executive Committee: Chairman of the Board John Wagner, General Manager of the Warwick Hotel; Vice President Judge Raymond Dean Jones, who served fifteen years on the Colorado Court of Appeals and is an original founder of CPRD; Treasurer Kevin Fallon, entrepreneur and financier; and Secretary Veronica Burwell, a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker. Gwendolyn Brewer, Roz Duman, Rachel E. Harding, Kathleen Lenover, Dan Montoya and Cindy VanCise complete the board.

"Donna's depth of understanding and dedication to CPRD will allow Cleo to be more involved in the community and advance the development of the dance company to an even higher status," says John Wagner, Board Chairman. "I'm excited about Donna being appointed to the ED position because of her depth of knowledge in the arts, her professional business skills and her dedication to CPRD."

CPRD offers a slate of educational opportunities to kids as young as three, as well as an after-school program for inner-city youth, where young people at risk attain healing, self-awareness and community consciousness through cultural experience. More than 1,000 kids participate in our classes each year. CPRD is currently working with the Denver Housing Authority to expand its existing home, located in the historic Shorter AME church building of Denver's Five Points Community. As part of the Hope VI redevelopment of East Village, a Healing Center for the Arts will be created to bring seniors with disabilities together with children from the area, both of whom will benefit from their interaction with each other and the arts.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance will celebrate its new beginning with “Dancin’ With Cleo,” a gala event on Saturday, October 21. The fundraiser is co-chaired by Greg Moore, editor of the Denver Post, and Nina Henderson Moore, Senior Vice President of BET Network. In typical Cleo fashion, the evening will include lots of dancing – from the mambo to meringue, salsa to the electric slide.

About Cleo Parker Robinson Dance:
Formed in 1970, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company is one of Denver’s most cherished cultural resources. Each year, the organization serves 40,000 patrons through performances and educational programs. In addition to operating a world-class modern repertory company, CPRD operates on the belief that everyone can dance. Throughout the year, people of every age, culture, ethnicity, and level of technique, gather to learn ballet, modern, jazz, tap, African, hip hop, breakin', belly dance, and salsa. During the summer, professional dancers from around the world participate in the International Summer Dance Institute, a four-week intensive program for dancers of all skill levels.

Editor's note: For more information on the gala, upcoming programs and performances, visit www.cleoparkerdance.org.