Rachel Tecora Tucker

Assistant Teaching Professor of Dance

she/her

Rachel teaches dance in the Acting/Music Theater program in the School of Drama.

Rachel Tecora Tucker, Assistant Teaching Professor of Dance at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. Prior teaching appointments have included the Manhattan School of Music teaching musical theater dance and ballet for the Musical Theater Department, American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, jazz and Horton-based modern, the University of North Carolina- Charlotte, Horton-based modern, contemporary jazz, beginning ballet, improvisation, Hip Hop, Pilates and performance practicum. She was also on faculty at the Charlotte Ballet Academy, formerly North Carolina Dance Theatre’s School of Dance, under the direction of Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. There, she taught and choreographed for the conservatory, pre-professional and apprentice program divisions. She has also taught for the young adult programs at the Alvin Ailey School and Steps On Broadway both in New York City.

Ms. Tucker began her formal dance training under the direction of Ballet Master Sylvester Campbell, Stephanie Powell and Norma Pera at The Baltimore School for the Arts. She received her BA in Dance from Point Park University and Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Hollins University, in affiliation with the American Dance Festival, The Forsythe Company and The University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition, she completed the beginner, intermediate, and advanced Lester Horton Technique Pedagogy workshops with Ana Marie Forsythe at the Ailey School in New York City.

As a professional dancer, Ms. Tucker danced with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, where she studied under master instructor of the Lester Horton Technique, James Truitte. There, she performed works by Ulysses Dove, Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, Eleo Pomare, Donald Byrd and Dwight Rhoden. She later joined the National Tour of ‘The Wiz”, directed and choreographed by George Faison. As well, Ms. Tucker performed as a Radio City Rockette at Radio City Musical Hall. Ms. Tucker is an original member of the Broadway production of Disney’s, “The Lion King”, directed by Julie Taymor and choreographed by Garth Fagan. She was one of two original dance captains alongside Aubrey Lynch and was later promoted to the off-stage position of Resident Dance Supervisor for The National Touring Company, maintaining the choreography and movement for the tour.

Ms. Tucker continues her work with young artists through master classes, workshops and dance festivals. She was choreographer for the Stagebound Summer Vocal Intensive held at The National Opera Center, guest artist for the Hartt School Community Division Summer Intensive, guest artist for Movement Migration’s Precision Jazz Dance Summer Intensive, Resident Horton Instructor at The Denzel Washington School for the Arts and served as movement coordinator for Shakespeare on the Sounds’ production of Macbeth. Ms. Tucker is a certified Pilates and Yoga instructor and incorporates these corrective and strengthening techniques in her teaching. She is also a proud union member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.