‹‹ Colorado Matters

May 23, 2024: Pioneering ballerinas mark their place in history; Cleo Parker Robinson celebrates a dream come true

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49min 44sec
Courtesy Penguin Random House
Denver native Karlya Shelton-Benjamin is featured in the new book, “The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History”

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Today we talk with Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, one of “The Swans of Harlem,” a Denver native featured in a new book about these pioneering ballerinas and their effort to make sure their history is not overlooked or forgotten. Then, Denver's iconic Cleo Parker Robinson sees her dream come true.