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Resident Faculty and Principal, Ensemble

Jennifer Rutherford


At the age of 14, Jennifer (Porteous) Rutherford moved to New York City to train at The School of American Ballet, after being invited there with a full scholarship. Jennifer was asked to join New York City Ballet at 17 years old. While in NYCB, Jennifer performed in many different Balanchine and Jerome Robbins ballets and was hand selected by Robert La Fosse for his ballet Concerto in Five Movements. Jennifer received stellar reviews by The New York Times, singling her out for her performances in the company. Since retiring as a performer, Jennifer has been the Children’s Nutcracker Coach at Cincinnati Ballet, and has taught ballet for over 15 years. She was also a resident choreographer with Exhale Dance Tribe, based out of Cincinnati. During the 2021-2022 Season, Jennifer joined the Otto M. Budig Academy team full time as Principal Faculty, Professional Training Division Coordinator.