Daniel BLake
Artistic Director & Founder of BalletCorps
“It is my firm belief that classical ballet training can be demanding, precise, and uncompromising in its standards while still preserving, protecting, and nurturing the dancer as a whole person.”
Daniel Blake brings more than three decades of classical ballet experience to BalletCorps as a professional dancer, teacher, director, choreographer and curriculum builder.
Trained at respected schools including The Grand Rapids Ballet School, Virginia School of the Arts, and Houston Ballet Academy, Daniel went on to perform with Dance Connecticut, Kansas City Ballet, and Minnesota Ballet before transitioning fully into teaching and school direction.
Today, his work at BalletCorps is shaped by the belief that serious ballet training should be technically clear, physically responsible, and capable of strengthening dancers to tackle life in and far beyond the studio.
-
Daniel began his ballet training at age nine at The Grand Rapids Ballet School in Michigan before continuing his studies in Austin, Texas. He later attended the Virginia School of the Arts on full scholarship and continued his training at Houston Ballet Academy, also on full scholarship, under the direction of Clara Cravey, Steven Brule and Ben Stevenson.
His training placed him in the studio with a wide range of influential teachers and artists, including Robert Estner, Charthel Arthur, Petrus Bosman, David Keener, Steven Brule, Claudio Muñoz, Ben Stevenson, Clara Cravey, Priscilla Nathan-Murphy, and others. During his time at Houston Ballet Academy, he also shared the studio with renowned artists including Carlos Acosta, Yin Le, Lauren Anderson, and Dawn Scannell.
-
Daniel danced professionally with Dance Connecticut, Kansas City Ballet, and Minnesota Ballet, performing leading and soloist roles in both classical and contemporary works.
His repertoire included Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, James in La Sylphide, the Prince in Cinderella, Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Merce Cunningham’s Totem Ancestor, Antony Tudor’s Continuo, and works by Lotte Goslar, Margo Sappington, David Parsons, LilaAnn White, and others.
He also performed at Jacob’s Pillow, where his work received praise from The New York Times, and was honored to be an original cast member in Ben Stevenson’s Five Poems.
-
After retiring from full-time performance in 2008 to focus on fatherhood, Daniel turned his attention to teaching, directing, choreographing and curriculum development.
His teaching career has included work with Minnesota Ballet, the Myles Reif Center, Minnesota Youth Ballet Academy, Ballet Blake, and BalletCorps. Since beginning his work in Rochester in 2012, Daniel has become deeply invested in building a ballet culture rooted in careful instruction, high standards, patience, and respect for the individual dancer.
At BalletCorps, Daniel directs the full curriculum and artistic programming, continuing the work of building a school where dancers can be challenged without being diminished, trained with focus, and supported as whole people.
-
Training
Grand Rapids Ballet School
Virginia School of the Arts, full scholarship
Houston Ballet Academy, full scholarship
Professional Companies
Dance Connecticut / Hartford Ballet
Kansas City Ballet
Minnesota Ballet
Selected Repertoire
Benvolio, Romeo and Juliet
James, La Sylphide
Prince, Cinderella
Allegro Brillante, George Balanchine
Totem Ancestor, Merce Cunningham
Continuo, Antony Tudor
Five Poems, Ben Stevenson, original cast
-
Owner & Director, BalletCorps — 2025–Present
Co-Owner & Director, Ballet Blake — 2014–2024
Primary Instructor, Minnesota Youth Ballet Academy — 2012–2014
Ballet Director, Myles Reif Center — 2008–2012
Faculty Member, Minnesota Ballet — 2003–2008
Guest Instructor, Atlanta Ballet Summer Program — 2002
Instructor, Legacy School of the Arts — 2001–2002
Instructor, Houston Ballet Academy — 1998–1999