As staff at The Denver Foundation, we are connected to the heart and soul of the Denver community, and that connection is central to our work. This summer, I had the opportunity to connect with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance community as part of Denver Dancing with the Stars.
If you walked into Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s beautiful new space in the historic Five Points neighborhood on early mornings this summer, you would have seen young children participating in dance camps, professional dancers preparing for performances, and you also would have seen me working on my routine with my amazing partner, Max Nelson-Steinhoff.
Practice with purpose
During these practices, Max and I talked about the impact Cleo Parker Robinson Dance has had on arts education across the city. Each year, the arts education program engages with more than 80 schools, leads more than 250 workshops across Colorado, and reaches more than 25,000 kids. We also talked about the healing power of movement. For me, as a young adult, that meant returning to a dance studio as I supported my mother through cancer. For Max, it meant finding his calling and passion as a professional dancer, dancing at the studio where his mother took lessons and where his little sister now follows in his footsteps.
As we practiced each week this summer, we talked about Cleo, the founder and artistic director, her vision, and this gift she created in the community. We talked about what Cleo Parker Robinson Dance means to the many professional dancers who have called it home, and the many community members who come to enjoy lessons and experience the joy of dance and the healing arts. If you need to brighten your weekend, go take Malik Robinson’s 8 a.m. Zumba class on a Saturday—you can’t help but walk out of there happy.
Throughout the summer, Max and I choreographed a two-minute routine, reworked sections we thought could be improved, and then finally, late one Saturday night in August, you better believe we DANCED!
More than a performance
Audience members at the 2026 Denver Dancing with the Stars saw 13 Denver “stars” dance their hearts out. The lineup included our community partners, including Annie H. Lee of Colorado Access Fund, Nick Lopez of the Latin American Education Foundation, Jimmy Johnson of the Denver Zoo, Kourtny Garrett of the Downtown Denver Partnership, and business leaders from Xcel Energy, Southwest Airlines, BOK Financial, and more. Everyone on stage worked incredibly hard to make each of our organizations proud.
As my music started, I looked out across the room—to an audience of nearly 800 people—and spotted mayors, gubernatorial candidates, city council leaders, artists, beloved authors, and of course, many friends and colleagues. The turnout for this event, year after year, shows just how important Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is to our city and state, but also how important dance and wellness are to the heart of our community. My dance number—a medley performed by Selena and Los Dinos — was a nod to the gala’s theme, We Are Family, honoring a Tejano icon and a family band. While the final production lasted just minutes, my smile lasted late into the evening. So many people commented, “You looked like you were having so much fun,” and that is because I absolutely was. The night was filled with pure joy thanks to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s entire team, my fellow stars, and the chance to perform my dance routine with my partner. And the greatest part is, it was all in support of making sure more young people can access arts education.
So do your heart and soul a favor—take a dance class at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, see a performance by the Ensemble or Cleo II, or support local arts wherever you call home. By all means, you should be dancing; we all should be dancing.
