Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Walton.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a small town in Northern Virginia, where from a young age, I fell in love with dance. At the age of 4 my parents took me to see a full-length production of Swan Lake, and I was mesmerized. I quickly became hungry to learn as much as possible, training in ballet, jazz, and contemporary. I was fortunate enough to have both a well-rounded dance and academic education – outside of dance, I went to a STEM high school where I had the opportunity to conduct my own research for the first time. Although I wanted to become a professional dancer, my interest in technology made it clear to me that I needed to attend a specific kind of university where I could build a curriculum to explore my varying interests. I attended the University of Southern California as an inaugural member of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, graduating magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Computer Programming. Through my time at USC, I discovered that my interest in technology could be a medium for sharing the passion that I have for dance with non-dancers. My time in college was incredibly formative for my dance training as well as my technology studies, culminating in a senior project where I built a prototype for an app that helped create choreography for dancers.
As a primarily freelance professional dancer, my post-graduate experience has taken me in many different directions and allowed me to work in both the concert and commercial side of the dance industry. I have performed in collaboration with acclaimed ballet choreographer William Forsythe as a speaker and dancer at the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany, and have worked with dance companies including Kybele Dance Theater, Traverse City Dance Project, and Ballare Carmel. However, I’ve also toured the world performing as a featured dancer for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, danced and assistant choreographed award-winning music videos for the LA-based band Lunarcode, and most recently performed in the cast of Rogers: The Musical at Disney California Adventure Park. I look for any opportunity I can to work with technology as well, whether it’s through building websites for artists and companies, doing collaborative art and technology projects, or creating videos with AI engines! I fully believe that all of the work I’ve done to this point will culminate in something larger, and it’s been an exciting journey thus far.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The life of an artist, and especially that of a dancer, is never a smooth one. As a high-achieving perfectionist, I didn’t receive many no’s in my life until I entered the professional dance space. Learning that rejection is just redirection and had no reflection on the quality of my art was something that took me a while to understand. When the pandemic hit less than a year after leaving school and entering the industry, I was also left to discover who I was outside of being a dancer or a student. In many ways, I’m grateful for that time because I was challenged to solidify my identity in ways that I hadn’t before. Now, every achievement is that much more impactful because I’ve grown and persevered through obstacles rather than had success fall into my lap.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a dancer, choreographer, and teacher among so many other things. Much of the work I do/create combines the technical base of a strong ballet and jazz training as well as the pedestrian or “human” elements I’ve studied through contemporary dance. My well-roundedness allows me to cross the entire spectrum of the entertainment industry, which is something I’m quite proud of.
Currently, I’m finishing a contract with Disney for Rogers: The Musical, which has been an incredibly rewarding and FUN experience. Some of my upcoming work includes choreographing and movement coaching for a short film, and I’m looking forward to working with the actors involved. This Halloween season, I’ll be performing in Angel of Light, an immersive theater and technology experience, and I can’t wait to see that project come to life as well. As a gym girlie, I’m also incredibly excited to announce that I’ve signed with Naturally Fit Agency for commercial and print!
Tickets for Angel of Light: https://feverup.com/m/
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have so many people in my life to thank for who and where I am today. My parents for being my biggest supporters, my dance agents at Go 2 Talent Lisa Lindholm, Gabe Vargas, and Sarah Braverman, as well as my agent Edith Miranda from Naturally Fit Agency. I would also love to thank all of my teachers and mentors I’ve had over the years for the training, the advocacy, and the life lessons they’ve given me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawalton4/
Image Credits
Alissa Roseborough @alissarosestudio, Leo Rowell @leo.and.his.lens, @photosfromdisneyland
