DAVID BLAKE

David Blake is an international performer, educator, creative director, and leadership practitioner with more than two decades of experience across the performing arts, higher education, and professional development. He holds a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from California State University, San Bernardino, and an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths, University of London, bringing together artistic practice with strategic leadership and cultural policy.

A Principal Performer in Disney’s The Lion King in London’s West End for over 17 years and former Principal Dancer with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC), David has built a career that bridges artistic practice with leadership, education, and strategic sector development.

As the inaugural Director of Dance and Musical Theatre at Urdang, City St George’s, University of London, David provided academic and artistic leadership, strengthening connections between professional training and industry practice. His work has expanded into mentorship, curriculum development, artist development, and creating sustainable pathways for creative professionals.

David has contributed to the advancement of the sector through a number of governance and advisory roles. He served on the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT), has been a member of the Advisory Board for Afro Dance Xplosion (ADX) Festival for over a decade, supporting the celebration and preservation of dance from the African diaspora, and serves on the Advisory Board for Bayes Business School’s MA in Leadership for the Creative Industries.

Alongside his professional work, David spent ten years performing with the Music and Theatre Ministry of the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP), using the performing arts to support charitable outreach and fundraising initiatives benefiting vulnerable communities in Haiti, Uganda, Jamaica, and the Philippines.

His creative work has received national recognition, including a OneDance UK nomination for Best Dance Film and the Black British Theatre Award (BBTA) for Best Teacher of Performing Arts.

Through his work across performance, education, governance, and community engagement, David continues to champion leadership development, mentorship, and sustainable pathways for artists and future cultural leaders.