Adrian Blake Mitchell

Adrian Blake Mitchell is an arts leader, curator and educator. As a ballet dancer, he trained at Westside Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, and Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program. In 2014, he made history as the first Black graduate of the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in 2015, he became the first Black male dancer to join a major Russian ballet company, the Mikhailovsky Theatre, where he achieved the rank of soloist.

In 2020, Mitchell became the Founding Artistic Director of Dance in Color, a nonprofit promoting diversity in the professional dance industry. His career has also intersected with the fashion world, with features in Paris Vogue and modeling opportunities at New York Fashion Week. 

Currently, Mitchell serves as the Associate Executive Director of Westside School of Ballet and is a guest leading dancer and ballet master with the Los Angeles Ballet. His influence extends to serving as a judge for the Youth America Grand Prix and Music Center Spotlight Awards, panelist for Leaders in Sports: Sports Performance Summit, director of artistic programming for the World Ballet Festival, and Artistic Ambassador for the ABT JKO School.