Photo courtesy of Jesús Gutiérrez
MISSION STATEMENT:
To encourage curiosity in all aspects of life. The thirst for knowledge is a powerful tool for any artist. VISION STATEMENT:
I aspire to utilize this need for knowledge to guide my art. I will continue to devote my creative energies beyond the limits of the studio and stage and will always strive to live a life of curiosity, compassion, and courage.ABOUT:
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Rachel Nash began her dance training at the age of 5 with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre school. She later continued to study under the tutelage of Jean Gedeon and Dana Arey at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet where she was exposed to many of George Balanchine's children's ballets, solidifying her understanding of Balanchine's musicality from an early age. Rachel later joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Full-Time High Program under the direction of Marjorie Grundvig and Dennis Marshall. During her time at PBT, Rachel was granted the opportunity to learn from professional dancers in real time as she performed along side them in company productions of "The Nutcracker" and "Beauty and the Beast". This early professional experience provided Rachel with additional knowledge and mental stamina as she entered her time with Oregon Ballet Theatre's junior company, OBT2. While with OBT2, Rachel performed in nearly every OBT company performance along with tackling the challenging role of Odile from "Swan Lake" for the annual OBT2 tour. Following her time in Portland, Rachel accepted an apprentice contract with Richmond Ballet where she was introduced to the works of Ma Cong, Stoner Winslett, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, Ricardo Graziano, and Emily Adams. Rachel was also able to grow her Stevenson and Balanchine repertoire, dancing featured roles in Ben Stevenson's "Dracula" and George Balanchine's "Serenade". In 2022 Rachel was invited to be a part of the Jacob’s Pillow 90th anniversary celebration performance where she worked with Jennifer Archibald and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa to develop two world premieres. In addition to dancing, Rachel also has a passion for music and the operatic voice. She is a classically trained soprano and has a repertoire of Italian, German, French, Latin, and Russian. Rachel is also an avid choreographer and educator, and has experience choreographing and teaching, both nationally and internationally. Rachel is also in current pursuit of a BFA in Dance from Point Park University.