“I strongly believe that Ms. Rachel has continuously fostered my artistic expression, and has a great understanding of my growth as a dancer through the years. Ms.Rachel has always encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone. Not only has Ms.Rachel opened a doorway for me to see multiple perspectives of modern dance, but through her class, I found a deeper passion for dance and art as a whole. Ms.Rachel's teaching style allows for me to appreciate the structure of different modern techniques while still being able to explore the boundaries of my own artistry and interpretation.

My biggest accomplishment in this class is being able to have a more defined perception on multiple modern techniques such as, Limon, Horton, and Release. Before taking Ms.Rachel’s class, I was always confined to a balletic way of moving that I think limited my growth and potential as a dancer. By learning different modern techniques and applying them in a way that helped me distinguish my normality from my freedom of expression I was able to catapult my growth in understanding modern techniques and the way they influence my movement.

Something that I will not forget is the sense of artistic freedom that this class gave me. Ms. Rachel’s class focused on nurturing our creative expression while staying within the boundaries of the modern technique. This class pushed my boundaries by Ms.Rachel creating a safe space for us all to explore our inner freedom as artists.  Her constant support and care of all of us students has created a gateway for us to feel comfortable expressing our authentic nature through the art of movement.”

-Sonrisa Hubbard, Alumnus Dance Major at Denver School of the Arts

“I deeply appreciated the balance this course offered me in contrast to my scientific studies, and this was mainly provided to me because of Ms. Young. Her teaching style is direct, concise, and captivating. I have much gratitude for teachers that not only come prepared to teach, but also embody the material in a way that it may be received well. It is very clear that Ms. Young’s passion lies within dance, and this is exemplified by how she engages her classroom. Not only is she a wonderful teacher, she is a compassionate and understanding individual.”

-Chelsie Tubman, past student in CU-Boulder lecture class

"My very energetic and inquisitive daughter was dying to take ballet and at 6 years old I thought she was ready. Miss Rachel had a class full of very energetic girls and I often wondered how this would turn out. The day of the recital I can't explain how pleasantly surprised I was. Rachel had this group of 6-9 year old girls appear to be mature and poised little women. I've never seen my daughter so focused and serious and beautiful. Rachel was my daughter’s first experience with ballet in a real class and because of her, my child loves ballet and I'm confident it will now always be a part of her life. My child still talks about Rachel all the time!"

 - Sarah McNeely, past parent, Lewisburg, WV

“Rachel Oliver Young is an exceptional teacher. Besides possessing a nurturing and supportive energy and outlook, she provides great critique and intelligent solutions to help her students achieve their goals in dance. Although she is calm and collected, she pushed me in many ways and helped me with several areas encompassing coordination, flexibility, and strength.  I loved learning from her and would do it again in a heart beat. After taking lessons from Rachel, I whole heartedly believe anyone who is lucky enough to study with Rachel should.  Not only is she a brilliant teacher, but she is a kind and lovely individual.” 

-Daniel Bevins, Alumnus BFA Music Theatre Major at Elon University. 

“Rachel’s knowledge of anatomy and somatic practice sets her above many of the dance teachers I’ve had. She is able to clearly articulate the exercises in a way that empowers her students to achieve better results while at the same time obtain a knowledge of safe dance practices.  Her class also worked to instill a deeper sense of understanding and respect for the form of ballet, from its classical roots to it’s more current manifestation. Rachel was able to make this class contemporary and relevant to the dance world today, while at the same time acknowledging its history. Her devotion to this helped to underscore the academic rigor of a class in which that is often overlooked.”

-Jessica Troppman, Alumnus BA Dance Major at CU-Boulder

“As a child, I wasn’t able to take dance classes and I had wanted to learn the basics for many years. In my first class felt so lost, but Rachel encouraged me to stick with it. During the three years that Rachel was in West Virginia, I went on to take various classes from her such as additional adult modern offerings, ballet, and jazz. Because we lived in a small area, people that took classes had differing levels of capability. Rachel was able to adapt the choreography to challenge each skill level. I thoroughly enjoyed taking classes from Rachel as well as watching pieces she choreographed either for a group or as a soloist. Rachel let you know that she cared about you, not only as a dancer but on a deeper level as a person. I miss her being in Lewisburg, West Virginia. She was such an asset to our community!”

-Becky Godby, past dance student, Lewisburg, WV

“Rachel Oliver Young has been a teacher to 2 of my children in both Modern Dance and Ballet.  She was co-director for the touring group my son participates in.  Rachel created a classroom environment that allowed my children to thrive!  Her manner was always professional and supportive.  Rachel is the kind of teacher you hope your child will have again and again!”

-Mariah Miller, past parent, Lewisburg, WV

“In Rachel’s class, there was a rather large variety of dance-ability in it, and I think a diverse group like that could be overwhelming and difficult to instruct. She usually had harder and easier versions of the combinations that we would do, so the more advanced students could be challenged as well as not overwhelming the dancers with less experience. Rachel was always very articulate in her corrections and always had feedback for us with constructive criticism that would help us continue to improve instead of getting frustrated and giving up.”

-Ali Dorato, Alumnus BA Dance Major at CU-Boulder