BACKSTAGE with RACHEL RUTHERFORD
Despite the fact that both her parents were professional ballet dancers, Rachel Rutherford has been in control of her own dancing career since age eight. After spending two years at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, she was determined to attend the School of American Ballet and enrolled when she was 10.
The daughter of Richard Englund and Gage Bush, who were director and ballet mistress, respectively, of ABT II, the forerunner of American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company, Rachel designed her career on her own terms. As a youngster, her first glimpse of ballet was sitting under the piano at the ABT studios watching Baryshnikov and other company members rehearse. She often went home after these sessions and emulated the dancers in ballet poses.
As a student at SAB, the official school of the New York City Ballet, Rachel entered the children's division progressing through levels A1, A2 and studied with Alexandra Danilova in B1 during Danilova's last year teaching at the school. Her parents tried to talk her out of pursuing a career in ballet but she persisted and attended the Joffrey Summer Intensive in San Antonio, Texas, where her father taught, using her middle name instead of her last so as not to draw attention to her family connections. At that time, both parents were working with the Joffrey II dancers. She was taken to New York City Ballet performances as a child and had her first opportunity to perform Balanchine choreography in the SAB Workshops dancing Gounod Symphony, Allegro Brilliant, Who Cares and Vienna Waltzes. While at the school, she participated in the exchange program with the Danish Royal Ballet school spending seven weeks in Copenhagen.
Trying to balance her life, Rachel attended Chapin a prestigious private school with a demanding academic schedule. She says it was difficult in the 11th and 12th grades because she was, at that time, an apprentice with NYCB. With the help of a tutor, she was able to keep her grades up and upon graduation she officially joined the corps de ballet. As a newcomer in the company, her first chance at a solo role came during Nutcracker season when she replaced the scheduled dancer as the Sugar Plum Fairy with only one days notice partnered by Principal Dancer Nikolaj Hubbe. Now a seasoned soloist with the company, two of her favorite ballets are; La Valse and In The Night. Rachel's repertoire includes, works by Balanchine, Robbins, Peter Martins, Christopher Wheeldon and, many of the young choreographers working with the company. As a guest artist, she danced Sleeping Beauty with the Mobile Ballet in Alabama.
Rutherford leads a full life away from the theater. She and her sister Alixandra Gage Englund, who graduated from the Yale Drama School with a MFA degree in costume design, return frequently to their mother's home state Alabama where they have a home. When hurricane Katrina hit, their property was flooded but Rachel says it was not nearly as devastating as seeing the destruction in other areas. In addition to daily ballet classes, she enjoys surfing and kick boxing along with Pilates and yoga to keep in shape. She likes traveling and especially enjoyed the NYCB tours to Russia, the Far East and Greece.
Rachel and her mother, who is currently ballet mistress for the ABT Studio Company, have an understanding concerning her career. She says her mom is an inspiration to her as a role model but they came to a mutual agreement long ago that she would be too involved in Rachel's career if she was both her mentor and her mother.
Her advice to young dancers...work hard, but most of all enjoy dancing. With everything going for her; she is pretty, talented and has excellent connections, Rachel Rutherford followed her own path and is making it on her own.