Rachel Carrico

Rachel Carrico is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance Studies at the University of Florida. She holds a Ph.D. in Critical Dance Studies from the University of California–Riverside, an M.A. in Performance Studies from NYU, and a teaching certificate from the Limón Institute.

Her research focuses on the aesthetic, political, and social dimensions of dance traditions rooted in the African diaspora, particularly New Orleans' second line parading practices. Her book Dancing the Politics of Pleasure (2024) explores these themes, and her work has been published in TDR: The Drama Review, TBS: The Black Scholar, and multiple edited volumes.

Carrico’s scholarship has earned the Selma Jeanne Cohen Award and grants from major institutions. She co-founded Goat in the Road Productions, directing international residencies and launching youth programs like Play/Write. Active in New Orleans’ cultural life, she parades annually with the Ice Divas Social and Pleasure Club.

Her academic career includes faculty roles at Reed College, Colorado College, University of Oregon, and Wilson College, alongside a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University.