David Blake is an international performer, instructor and choreographer with more than 15 years experience in the entertainment industry appearing in commercials, TV shows, film and print. Currently he is performing in Disney’s award wining musical The Lion King (London Cast) playing the role of ‘Banzai’. He received his performing arts training through the Cathy Levy Performing Arts Academy, California State University and the Alvin Ailey American Dance School. He is a certified Lester Horton Technique Instructor from the Alvin Ailey American Dance School in New York and a fellow of the International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA).

David has toured extensively throughout the Caribbean, United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as principal dancer of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC). He has been a guest artist for various dance companies in California. David has conducted master classes and workshops in Musical Theatre, Jazz, Modern and Afro-Caribbean based dance and has taught and choreographed for colleges, universities and professional schools including in the US and UK. His career also includes charitable work through Theatre Cares (London) and the Missionaries of the poor that raises awareness and support programs for the poor and destitute in Jamaica, Philippines, Haiti, India, and Uganda.

Class Description: The Lester Horton technique provides the fundamental tools needed in dance training for both professional and pre professional dancers. It builds strength, flexibility, and coordination while increasing the expressive range of the body through a series of exercises and movement vocabulary. This challenging, high-energy technique class explores varying tempos, rhythmical patterns and dynamic accents for all to enjoy!

In a 1937 statement Horton states, “I am sincerely trying now to create a dance technique based entirely upon corrective exercises, created with a knowledge of human anatomy; a technique which will correct physical faults and prepare a dancer for any type of dancing he may wish to follow; a technique having all the basic movements which govern the actions of the body; combined with a knowledge of the origin of movement and a sense of artistic design.” -Lester Horton