Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s holiday tradition returns for its 34th season, bringing vibrant storytelling, fiery global rhythms and a strong sense of community to Denver.

For 34 years, Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum has been Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s answer to The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol. Granny is the dance company’s returning seasonal ritual that draws families back year after year, except it’s wildly more interesting than any sugarplum ballet.

This is a show with over 100 people involved across every age group in the CPRD ecosystem, backed by a live band that sounds far bigger than its seven members, all blasting through dozens of musical styles. Walking into my first performance of this long-running tradition, I understood almost immediately why this kaleidoscopic dance-theatre journey has become a Denver institution.

It’s sentimental without being saccharine, culturally expansive without feeling didactic and bursting with enough rhythm, spectacle and intergenerational joy to keep even the fidgetiest young audience member enthralled … well, at least for most of the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime.

Spirit of the Drum-Karamazaam | Photo: Stan Obert

A celebration that moves through cultures

The story takes place in the magical land of Karamazaam and is inspired by Opalanga Pugh’s audiotape Festival of Light, which features holiday traditions from around the world. Margarita Taylor plays Granny, a revered elder who is slowly losing her memory but determined to pass her stories on to her grandchildren, Nakia (Faith E. Johnson) and TiSean (Corey Jamel).

Her storytelling is supported by the Three Angels of the Rainbow: Angel Shakti (Cleo Parker Robinson herself), Angel Cantadora (Cholé-Grant Abel) and Angel Griot/Preacher (Cedric D. Hall). They guide audiences through more than a dozen cultural celebrations, attempting to remind Granny of her past dancing around the world.

The first act moves through West African, Native American and Mexican traditions before landing in a hilariously chaotic church nativity scene. Throughout these adventures, the piece doesn’t shy away from hard history: there are direct references to enslavement, Indigenous resistance and the realities behind cultural survival.

If you are too much of a sensitive snowflake to deal with reality in holiday entertainment, you might want to stay at home with your sugar cookies and unanswered messages from your family. However, for those of us who are not triggered by history, it’s refreshing to see a holiday show that acknowledges struggle while still centering joy.

Act II expands the mosaic even further, honoring Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, the Japanese New Year, Muslim reflections on the season, the Chinese New Year, Brazilian candomblé and a jubilant Junkanoo finale from the Caribbean.

The musical world shifts constantly to reflect the shifting setting. They go from a traditional West African welcoming dance to a lively moon-and-sun jig to hip-hop rhythms as the cast performs a “Christmas Rap.” The live “Granny Band,” led by Music Director Mark Caldwell, handles it all beautifully. I expected a huge pit orchestra based on the sound alone, but no, it’s just seven musicians absolutely working overtime.

Celebrating Hanukkah | Photo: Stan Obert

Spectacle, spirit and ensemble power

The sheer scale of the production, featuring the main ensemble, Cleo II, the Youth Ensemble, the Children’s Ensemble and the live “Granny Band,” makes the stage feel constantly in motion. At times, more than 50 dancers fill the space in precise unison, striking solos and explosive bursts of acrobatics. One performer stopped the show cold with a stunning series of 12 standing toe touches, while others flipped, vaulted and spun through choreography that seamlessly shifted between cultural vocabularies.

The production team’s craft underscores the show’s border-crossing spirit. Bright, intricately layered costumes, from shimmering solstice animals to drifting Lunar New Year silhouettes, evoke each tradition with specificity and flair. Dancers glide through Leticia Tanguma’s storybook-inspired set, while Anastazia Coney’s lighting design and DSDI’s projections help shift locations with painterly warmth.

Taylor anchors the evening with a grounded, emotionally textured performance. Her Granny is both spirited and fragile, a woman fighting the quiet erosion of memory by passing on what matters most. Her rapport with Johnson and Jamel is especially charming, despite a recurring comedic bickering bit between the siblings that feels unnecessary and ultimately distracts from the larger narrative.

A Christmas rap | Photo: Stan Obert

Technical stumbles in an otherwise strong revival

This year’s production does hit some undeniable bumps in the sound department. Microphones cut out repeatedly, especially for Robinson, whose soft-spoken delivery really needs amplification. Backstage conversations occasionally leaked through the speakers, and there were a few bursts of loud feedback that pulled focus from the performers.

It’s understandable given the company’s major transition to its new Center for the Healing Arts, which is set to open MLK weekend 2026, but it still affects the viewing experience and is worth smoothing out.

The runtime, nearly two-and-a-half hours with intermission, also tested the attention span of the younger audience members around me. A little trimming, especially of the grandkids’ bickering subplot, would help the pacing without diminishing the cultural breadth.

Still, the heart of this piece remains rock-solid. Whether you’re seeing it for the first time or the thirtieth, there is always something new to notice, some tradition you didn’t know, a costume you missed, or a new dancer bringing their whole spirit to a role. And unlike many holiday classics, Granny doesn’t ask everyone to fit into one story or one aesthetic. It honors the fact that celebration looks different everywhere, and that’s exactly what makes it worth sharing.

If you love dance but don’t need another round of tutus and toy soldiers, Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum is a vibrant alternative that invites every culture to the celebration and makes you feel lucky to be in the room to witness it. As the final Junkanoo procession moves through the theatre, it is impossible not to be lifted by Granny’s message: joy multiplies when shared across cultures, generations and the drumbeat of time.