Rachel Rutherford (born Rachel Rutherford Englund Knapp) is a former soloist with New York City Ballet.
Rutherford was born in New York City, the daughter of dancer and ballet teacher Gage Bush Englund."Gage Bush Englund, Ballet Mistress and Dancer, Dies at 77", New York Times, January 15th, 2009. Accessed 14 February 2013 She began her training at age eight at the Joffrey Ballet School and entered the School of American Ballet in 1987. While attending the Chapin School, from which she eventually graduated in 1994, Rutherford also received the D.A.N.C.E. scholarship allowing her to study in Spring 1992 at the Royal Danish Ballet. She became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet the following year and joined the corps de ballet late 1995. The next Spring she appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Ms. Rutherford was promoted to soloist at the New York City Ballet in May 2002,NY Times, June 6th, 2002 danced that year in Chiaroscuro on the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast, New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography, and again two years later dancing in Concerto Barocco on their Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100, both on PBS. She retired in 2011.
Roles
originated featured roles
Stephen Baynes Twilight Courante
Miriam Mahdaviani Appalachia WaltzNY Times Anna Kisselgoff, June 22nd, 2000 Urban Dances
Angelin Preljocaj La Stravaganza
Jerome Robbins NY Export: Opus Jazz, NYCB premiereNY Times, Anna Kisselgoff, April 28th, 2005
Christopher Wheeldon Carnival of the AnimalsNY Times Gia Kourlas, June 20th, 2005 Carousel (A Dance)NY Times, Anna Kisselgoff, February 25th, 2003 Slavonic Dances
originated corps roles
Eliot Feld Organon
Robert La Fosse and Robert Garland Tributary
Peter Martins Concerti Armonici Reliquary
Jerome Robbins Brandenburg West Side Story Suite
featured roles
George Balanchine Apollo Ballo della Regina Chaconne Concerto Barocco Divertimento No. 15 The Firebird The Four Temperaments The Nutcracker Jewels (Emeralds) Liebeslieder Walzer A Midsummer Night's Dream Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 La Valse Western Symphony Who Cares?
August Bournonville Pas de Six
Miriam Mahdaviani Correlazione
Peter Martins The Sleeping Beauty Stabat Mater Swan Lake Thou Swell
Alexei Ratmansky Russian Seasons
Jerome Robbins Antique Epigraphs Dances at a Gathering Dybbuk Fancy Free Fanfare The Four Seasons Glass Pieces The Goldberg Variations Interplay In the Night
Lynne Taylor-Corbett Chiaroscuro
References