Rutherford was born in New York City, the daughter of dancer and ballet teacher Gage Bush Englund.
While attending the Chapin School, from which she eventually graduated in 1994,[2] Rutherford also received the D.A.N.C.E.
scholarship allowing her to study in Spring 1992 at the Royal Danish Ballet.
The next Spring she appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Ms. Rutherford was promoted to soloist at the New York City Ballet in May 2002,[3] danced that year in Chiaroscuro on the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast, New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography, and again two years later dancing in Concerto Barocco on their Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100, both on PBS.