A nationally known dance school based in Denver is making plans for the construction of a new space that will house, among other things, a theater, arts center, and studios.
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance school was launched in 1970 and is dedicated to what it calls the “universal language of dance,” with performances exploring social justice, human condition, and African diaspora themes.
Located at 119 Park Avenue West in Denver’s Five Points neighbor, the school was founded by Denver-born Cleo Parker Robinson, a nationally known dancer and Kennedy Center Medal of Honor recipient.
The expansion project will see the construction of a four-story building measuring 25,000 square feet, and will also include classroom and office space, with funding to the tune of $4 million now secured through a Community Revitalization Grant awarded by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
The Park Avenue West property, a four-story brick building that was formerly the Shorter A.M.E. Church, was built in 1925.
Details regarding the project’s planning and construction timetable are expected to be announced later this spring.
Colorado’s community revitalization grants are designed to provide funding for facility projects specifically located in creative and historic districts, as well as neighborhood commercial centers.
To date, the grants have awarded just under $65 million in support to 34 projects across the state.
By Garry Boulard
