Search

Descriptions should be written as one or more proper sentences, starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop, exclamation mark, or question mark.

News

David Blake was one of the longest-serving cast members in The Lion King. This Black Futures Month he shares his journey from performing in the West End to joining the Department of Performing Arts at City St George’s.

Published

Not many people can say they have performed in a West End show. Even less people can say they have performed in Disney’s The Lion King. But just one person can say they performed in that show for 17 years. That person is David Blake.

Born in St Andrew, Jamaica, David received his performing arts training at California State University (CSUSB) and the Ailey School. But it was his artistic directors back home in Jamaica that inspired him to dream big.

My journey to The Lion King was a unique one. I left Jamaica, moved to Los Angeles to study at university and then Disney invited me to be a part of the show here in London. That’s when I really fell in love with the city.

David Blake was one of the longest-serving cast members in The Lion King.

“Growing up in Jamaica, I was guided and supported by my artistic director who fuelled my passion. She taught me how to dream. My other artistic director, who was a vice chancellor at the University of the West Indies, taught me about my cultural identity. He showed me the importance of taking that with you everywhere you go.”

While David made the sacrifice to leave Jamaica and his family to pursue his passions, he took the advice of his mentor. While dancing in The Lion King, he soon realised he understood the Jamaican influences of its choreography.

Garth Fagan, the choreographer of The Lion King, is Jamaican and based in New York. I was able to understand the vocabulary and the work he was trying to portray in the show. I spoke the same language.

David started in the ensemble but then secured a role as one of the lead hyenas in The Lion King

While David started out as an ensemble dancer, he later secured a role as ‘Banzai’ and played the understudy for ‘Mufasa’. “I was the first dancer to ever transition from an ensemble to a principal role in the show,” he said.

While performing in The Lion King, David found that various leadership opportunities arose, which lead him to teaching company classes to the ensemble dancers preserving the integrity of the choreography in the show.

The choreography of The Lion King is a unique fusion of dance styles with influences from Afro-Caribbean, contemporary, hip hop and classical-based dance.

When David noticed that talented dancers who auditioned were not getting past the first and second rounds and needed more focus in their practice, he started teaching dance classes at Danceworks and other vocational schools that covered the movement vocabulary featured in the show.

“I was able to prepare performers for The Lion King,” he said. Students from his classes began successfully auditioning for the show and David discovered a love for sharing his inside knowledge of the West End with others.

During this time, I thought ‘how do I grow and expand?’ ‘What would my life look like beyond The Lion King?’ I founded my own teaching and training mentorship programme called Blake Arts. I worked with graduates from performing arts schools transitioning from full-time training to the professional world.

For his own professional development, he went back to school and completed an MA from the Goldsmiths, University of London.

In 2023, David was appointed as Director of Urdang, the prestigious performing arts provider at City St George’s, University of London. David was the longest-serving cast member of The Lion King at the time.

Today, he represents Urdang, focusing on expanding the brand globally, forging partnerships, and creating employability opportunities for its students while bridging the gap between industry and academia.

Because I was given that kind of support and guidance, I wanted to pave the way and support another generation of young people. To be that person to say to them ‘you can do it’.

Ultimately, my goal is to propel Urdang into a vibrant and dynamic performing arts establishment that meets the needs of our current students and future generations.

David Blake at The Lion King anniversary event

Recently, David attended The Lion King's 25th Anniversary performance with over 30 Urdang students. Celebrating his own journey with the show but also hoping to inspire the next generation of performers.

"These experiences not only enrich our students' education but also prepare them for successful careers in the performing arts,” he said.

David is the recipient of the Best Teacher in Performing Arts award from the Black British Theatre Awards (2020) and was nominated by OneDance UK for his dance film, Melanin Migration: Brothers In Arms.

Find out more about Urdang.

Other stories you might like