Meet Blake Krapels

We were lucky to catch up with Blake Krapels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Blake , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Creativity breathes through every part of life. The way to access that is to simply listen, observe and reflect on things we experience on a daily basis. I love watching people, listening to different perspectives and constantly putting myself in situations to learn and grow. The world has endless resources of inspiration if we allow ourselves to pause and take in ALL that is around us.

In terms of creating and choreographing, most of the time I lean into the artists in the room to help propel my vision. Sometimes the vision is crystal clear from the start and other times its a true blank canvas, waiting for the artists in the room to lend their paints and colors to the many different brushes I chose to work with. Collaboration is truly a wonderful way to keep creativity alive. It takes away the ego and allows me the space to lean into other people’s artistry, which ultimately creates work that is a lot bigger than something I would create by myself.

I have a vivid memory of this one particular process with my classmates Michael Marquez and Gemma Bender (Juilliard Dance 2015) that really cemented the idea that creativity is all around us . Prior to moving to Cleveland for 3 months to create an evening length show with the two of them, I was quite stagnant creatively living in NYC. I was grinding to stay afloat while feeling so uninspired and not creative. It was that process, of connecting with people you love dearly and having a different perspective that allowed me to access creativity again. Sometimes we become so complacent in our routines that we forget to stop and reflect on all the beautiful connections that surround us. While living in Cleveland I wasn’t just inspired by the work we were making in the studio, but also connecting with them outside the studio (dinner dates, spending time in nature, driving around, laughing, cooking) was so imperative to the creative process. It reminded me that our relationships truly have the power to transform our creative energy on a daily basis.

Being in a different environment also lended to the reignition of my creativity. I wasn’t stuck in my normal routine and had to really listen, observe and take in being in a different place. Although many of the landscapes had familiar feelings I wasn’t able to simply just look and move on with my day. I had to really be observant and lean into being in a different space. With the different space I found new perspectives, things that I typically would look past became so beautiful, so important.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

One of my biggest goals is to curate environments for artists to come together and create works of art that reflect our shared experience of living on this earth. I love collaborating, choreographing, performing and educating the future artists that will continue making, creating and transforming countless lives through the beautiful art form of dance.

Sonder Space is a new visual and performing arts project that provides a platform for emerging and accomplished artists to present their work with maximum creative freedom. Founded alongside my friends Andie Yorita and Zachary Kapeluck, we are interested in presenting evenings of art that foster collaboration. Our goal is to have Sonder Space be a platform for artists from all different mediums to come to together and make works of art that connect to our shared human experience. We presented our first evening length work “Volume i” in May 2024 at Theatre Exile (Philadelphia,PA) to two sold out audiences. We were able to hire 13 artists (dancers, choreographers, lighting/scenic designers, stage manager, audio engineer) and pay them adequate wages for their work. Compensating artists for their life commitment to their art form is a huge mission for Sonder Space. The days of expecting artists to work for exposure are no longer acceptable and everyone artist deserves to be compensated for their time and dedication to their craft. We are excited to continue this journey of curating performances for the beloved Philadelphia community and beyond.

*Sonder- “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.”

Upcoming Commissions:
First State Ballet Theater- February 21-23
Desales University- March 21-23
Flight Path Dance Project – April 17-19
Philadelphia Youth Ballet in collaboration with Valentin Kovalev – March 9

Current Roles:
Cofounder Sonder Space
Associate Artistic Director South Dakota Ballet
Faculty member at Joffrey Ballet School

Education:
The Juilliard School

I am extremely passionate about changing the culture and addressing the abusive practices that so often plague the dance industry. So frequently in the dance world, organizations and directors tend to damper creative environments with archaic standards, ideas and practices that mistreat and take advantage of the artists in the room. There is no room for creativity in a hostile environment. Art flourishes when the environment created is free from ego, power and manipulation. This is such an important facet of my work. I want to redefine how creative spaces function, with the artist at the forefront. How can we make the process, performance and collaboration an enjoyable experience for all involved, including the audience. I think it’s important to keep having conversations about the negative culture that plagues so much of the industry in order to carve out a new normal that doesn’t constantly belittle and demean the very artists that are the heart of the work.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

~Communication
Communication is so vital to how we interact with each other and how we convey ideas. I have a vivid memory of a mentor at The Juilliard School pulling me aside and telling me how awful of a communicator I was in the front of the room . It was jarring and harsh at the time but it pushed me to look inward and really analyze the way I communicate. The way we lead and speak in a room really has the power to affect the energy.

~Collaboration
Collaborating is such an important skill. It takes practice and is different with every new collaborator. It took time to understand that, but once I realized how unique each experience was, it allowed me to be more present and less stuck on my own ideas.

~Lead with Love
Through the many stages of my life, I always try to lead with love. It’s so easy to get swept away by the darkness and negativity that surrounds us, but the way we connect and help each other is through kindness. Create spaces that you yourself would want to be a part of. Don’t allow others to steer you away.

Uncomfortability is important to discover growth. Lean in to it and allow it to help expand your perspectives and ideas. The qualities listed above where all realized through time and many moments of being super uncomfortable.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Always looking for people to collaborate with. Musicians, Dancers, Choreographers, Composers, Cinematographers, Photographers, Scenic Designers… It’s important to create a network of artists that have dreams of creating works collaboratively.

[email protected]
IG: blakekrapels

Contact Info:

• Instagram: blakekrapels
• Facebook: Blake Krapels
• Other: Vimeo
  https://vimeo.com/blakekrapels

  Sonder Space Instagram:
  sonder_space_

Image Credits

Headshots: Elliot deBruyn (Sonder Space)
Field Shot: South Dakota Ballet Film with Zachary Kapeluck
Stage: Beau Pearson Photography for DanceAspen ( “SORTIJAS”Choreography Cayetano Soto, dancer Madeleine Scott)