Rachel Rugh

Rachel Rugh is an adjunct Lecturer of Dance at Virginia Tech and Radford University, and a Faculty Fellow at the VT Center for Communicating Science. She specializes in contemporary dance, interdisciplinary performance, and dance pedagogy. Her research explores the intersection of dance, neuroscience, and community engagement, including therapeutic movement practices and accessibility in dance education. Rugh holds a BA in Dance and Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2008) and an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2017).

She directs the Virginia Governor's School summer dance program and co-founded Blacksburg Dance Theater, providing accessible dance training. Notable roles include the 2017/18 Dr. Robert L.A. Keeley Healing Arts Residency at Carilion NRV Hospital and co-direction of the 2024 Science and Art of Movement Festival. Her work bridges art and science through collaborations with Virginia Tech’s Embodied Brain Laboratory and percussionist Annie Stevens.

Award-winning choreographer and educator, Rugh has presented at national conferences (NDEO, SEAMUS) and festivals (Seattle International Dance Festival, Movement Research NYC). Her teaching spans creative dance for all ages, anatomy for performers, and interdisciplinary methods.