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| Rachel as an inspired young artist |
Rachel is a native of Colorado and a lover of all things creative. She has been singing ever since she was a little girl, has always enjoyed art, and quit soccer to start her dance training at age 11. Rachel is trained primarily in ballet and lyrical; her current favorite is contemporary because of the freedom of movement and expression.For Rachel, dance is so much more than simply technique. It is an expression of the human soul, reaching to depths that mere words cannot. Creativity for Rachel is a language which crosses all barriers of race, creed, age, gender, or social status. It is an avenue to bring light into dark places and spark inspiration and hope.
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| Rachel using modern dance training in a photo shoot. |
In university Rachel continued to dance as she pursued her psychology degree, and started an annual summer dance camp for underprivileged girls in her community. She was amazed to see the power of dance as a way to communicate identity and purpose into the hearts of these girls. Rachel decided to leave university and become a full-time volunteer missionary in 2011, with Youth with a Mission. She travelled to South Africa, Mozambique, London, and Amsterdam, and lived in Kona, Hawaii for a year. In each place, countless opportunities arose to reach communities through the arts. From painting in the streets of London and Denver, to teaching dance in Hawaii, to creating music in Amsterdam—each moment only reminded Rachel of the power of the arts to bring transformation and to speak the message of hope to broken people: orphans, widows, addicts, the poor and the needy of all backgrounds.In 2013, after experiencing some pretty serious burnout, Rachel returned to the mainland. In the midst of a season of many questions and fears, Rachel was invited to join a touring dance company based out of Montana. In this company (Axios Dance Company), Rachel’s passion was renewed; art awakened her once again. The tour travelled from coast to coast, hitting cities like Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Harrisburg, PA, while visiting smaller towns in-between. A few months later, Rachel returned to Montana for a second tour which focused on several locations along the West Coast and throughout California. The company used dance and music as a platform to speak about important subjects like identity and personal freedom. They performed in schools, churches, theatres, conferences, parks, and even in the streets.
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| One of Rachel's many talents, we find her singing to express her faith. |
Now Rachel is continuing to fuel her love for the arts while pursuing a career in Special Education. She uses art and music whenever she can to inspire students and young people. She recently finished an apprenticeship with Avatar Movement Dance Company, a professional contemporary/jazz company in Denver, and was a part of their production, “Cosmic Coincidence”. Rachel is currently experimenting with different dance styles and dabbling in musical theatre; her passion is to be a light and a breath of fresh air to the dance and performing arts community in Denver. She always seeks to express her faith and to share hope through every opportunity which comes her way—be it dance, visual art, acting, teaching, writing, or music. She is very excited to embrace each new step of the journey, is eager to learn and grow, and is forever thankful for the gift of creativity!
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| Rachel has performed at a variety of locations showcasing her talent. |
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