Hailing from San Diego, CA, Rachel trained extensively at Best Foot Forward Dance Studio, Touch of Class, New West Ballet School, Christian Youth Theater San Diego, California Ballet & Ballet Pacifica. Rachel assisted production & grant funding of the Laguna Dance Festival with Artistic Director, Jodie Gates (USC), & the National Choreographers Initiative with Artistic Director, Molly Lynch (UCI), in Orange County, CA. After graduating from [read]the University of California at Irvine with a BFA in Dance Performance & minors in English & Biology, Rachel moved to DC to work for Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. While serving as the Communications Specialist for Dance/USA, Rachel worked with acclaimed photographer Jordan Matter on several Dancers Among Us photoshoots as a featured dancer. Once the book made the NY Times best seller list, Rachel moved to NYC. After dancing at sea for six months on Holland America’s m/s Westerdam, Rachel worked as a featured principal dancer on the STARZ miniseries Flesh & Bone created by Moira Walley-Beckett, Breaking Bad. Rachel was honored to join the original cast of renowned Broadway director/choreographer Susan Stroman’s production of THE MERRY WIDOW, which marked her Metropolitan Opera debut. She continued to perform at the John W. Engeman Theater’s production of A CHORUS LINE. Rachel completed a year on the road with the national tour of DIRTY DANCING as Vivian Pressman. During the spring of 2017 she returned to DIRTY DANCING as Marjorie Houseman. In 2018, Rachel returned to NYC reviving her role as a swing/cover for the singing, can-can-ing Grisettes in Susan Stroman’s THE MERRY WIDOW at The Metropolitan Opera. After relocating to Las Vegas, Rachel assisted Stroman’s team with Kung Fu Panda Spectacular Live to debut at The Venetian Macau.[/read]
Rachel serves as a Faculty member with Theater Arts Preparatory School (TAPS), Joffrey Las Vegas & Millennium Dance Complex Las Vegas. When she’s not performing with her husband, Doug, in their cocktail jazz duo, Slow Burn For Two, or creating community, you can find Rachel supporting local artists, enjoying delicious meals & traveling whenever possible. She takes on life with grace, strength & determination – the same qualities you will find in her teaching.
