Rachel Rutherford (born Rachel Rutherford Englund Knapp) is a former soloist with New York City Ballet. Rutherford was born in New York City, the daughter of dancer and ballet teacher Gage Bush Englund. She began her training at age eight at the Joffrey Ballet School and entered the School of American Ballet in 1987. While attending the Chapin School, from which she eventually graduated in 1994, Rutherford also received the D.A.N.C.E. scholarship allowing her to study in Spring 1992 at the Royal Danish Ballet. She became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet the following year and joined the corps de ballet late 1995. The next Spring she appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.