Rachel Balaban is a dancer, teacher, and maker. She is founder and director of DAPpers - Dance for All People - and co-founder and co-director of Artists and Scientists as Partners (ASaP) with Julie Adams Strandberg.

Rachel holds a BA from Brown University. She is a certified Dance for PD instructor and is regional co-ordinator for Dance for PD. She is also a trained yoga and Shake Your Soul instructor. Rachel teaches DAPpers classes regularly.

After 9 years working with DAPpers, utilizing dance to improve quality of life for people of all ages and abilities, Rachel’s focus now is translating that practice into an intervention to implement and scale in the public health sphere. As co-lead investigator on the 3D Project (Deeper Dive into DAPpers), Rachel is tapping into her experience as a teaching artist, mentor, and program director to co-ordinate an interdisciplinary team and to synthesize the research collected.

When Rachel isn’t dancing, you’ll likely find her swimming, sailing, paddle boarding, biking, or practicing yoga. Being in motion and in community with others is what brings her the most joy.

To Find Out More About Rachel Balaban:

• DAPpers (Dance for All People)

• Artists and Scientists as Partners (ASaP)  

• The Miracle Project - New England