When Cleo Parker Robinson and her troupe of dancers head to Dallas this week for the 20th-anniversary International Black Dance Conference, they’ll be traveling on the wings of joy.
That’s because their beloved Marceline Freeman, who went blind three years ago, will be choreographer Christopher Huggins’ partner as the company performs his work, “Nine Ninas.”
Via e-mail, Cleo shares this about a recent rehearsal:
“Marcy is actually running and moving through space with Christopher as her partner. You should have seen her face . . . she hasn’t moved like this since she lost her sight. It was so inspiring that we all cried with JOY!”
Freeman’s performance will be an emotional one for others, too. “She is recognized in the dance field as one who has kept the legacy alive,” Robinson continues, “and in Dallas she will be seen by so many who have been inspired by her work. Marcy is such a trouper. She must have (the Indian god) Ganesh as one of her guides because she has let no obstacle stop her, not even the loss of her sight. Her passion, compassion and courage are a tremendous inspiration to our company, as well as to others who are in her presence.”
And there’s more.
Good news, that is:
On Thursday evening, at a by-invitation cocktail party at the Ron Lessnau home in Cherry Hills Village, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver will present a $20,000 check to representatives of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado. The grant is being made in honor of Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and his work on behalf of the Association. “Part of our mission is to support other worthwhile children’s charities,” notes Ronald McDonald House executive director Pam Whitaker, adding that the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association is “an extremely worthwhile charity, and we’re proud to be able to provide them with some support.” Hurdle, whose daughter, Madison, has Prader-Willi, will be honored at the Ronald McDonald House Storybook Ball, taking place March 15 at Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Tickets can be purchased from Jonna Busack, 303-832-6641.
Sean McNicholas, son of K-M Concessions chief Kevin McNicholas and his wife, Mary, has just launched another young professionals network, the Kempe Champions. It will engage those between the ages of 21 and 40 to support the Kempe Children’s Foundation in its efforts to prevent child abuse and serve those victimized by it.
Founding members include Radhika Mahanty, Sandi Garcia, Genia Larson, Mae Desaire and Jason Boyer, and they’ll join Sean at Maloney’s Tavern on Feb. 6 for a happy-hour party aimed at increasing the membership. It starts at 5:30 p.m.
Sean, whose other YPNs benefit Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center and Boys Hope/Girls Hope, will be honored with his parents and siblings, Shannon and Brendan, at the Anti-Defamation League’s Passing the Torch Dinner on April 10.
Sue Miller, a former fashion model who has used her experiences as a breast cancer survivor to bring hope and awareness to thousands of others, has established a fund that will support organizations and programs serving the medical and mental health needs of those living with the disease.
The Sue Miller Transitions Fund, administered by Rose Community Foundation, is an extension of the Day of Caring for Breast Cancer Awareness that Miller began in Denver in 1980. The event is now offered in eight cities nationwide and in 2007 it became a program of CURE magazine. Denver’s second CURE Day of Caring will be on May 3.
Miller, a 2002 inductee into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1971. In 2006, she published her first book, “I’m Tougher Than I Look: The Sue Miller Story as Told to Amber Dahlin.”
To make a tax-deductible donation to the fund, call 303-398-7459.
