Rachel Molinaro is a professional performer, choreographer and educator in Chicago. A graduate of Northwestern University’s dance program under the direction of Dr. Susan A. Lee, Rachel has danced professionally with companies such as Project Bound Dance, Striding Lion Performance Group, Kelly Bowker and Dancers, Kelly Anderson Dance Theatre, enidsmithdance, Mish Mash Productions (NYC) and currently creates her own work as an independent artist. She has toured to Door County, Wisconsin for all three seasons of the Death’s Door Dance Festival to present new work and performed alongside Grammy-winning musician Howard Levy.
Rachel is an expert dance educator with nearly 20 years leading classes and workshops for young dancers. She was the co-founder, manager and teacher at Dovetail Studios in Chicago from 2015-2021 where she led students ages 3 to adult in a variety of dance styles such as ballet, modern, jazz and Barre fitness. She was the Dance Program Director at Music House School of the Performing Arts, an outreach educator with String Lion Performance Group Leading residencies at multiple primary schools and the marketing coordinator for Foster Dance Studios.
Rachel has toured across the nation with various companies, including a performance with the Dalai Lama at the Parliament of World Religions in 2015.
Rachel continues her mission of supporting young people in the arts and connecting dance within local communities as the Artistic Director of the youth dance company ede2, of which she has led for four seasons. In 2023, her production of Whodunit? premiered with a live jazz band of Evanston Township High School music students and three alternative endings chosen live by the audience. She currently serves as a board member for Project Bound Dance and supports undergraduate and graduate arts students at Northwestern University’s School of Communication in the career services department.
Photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Rachel Molinaro 