Emily fell in love with ballet at the age of five in her hometown of Roanoke, VA and began dance classes at Roanoke Ballet Theatre then continued her training with Unurbat Gunaajav and Michele Goacher. She played violin in the Roanoke Youth Symphony and performed dance roles in collaborative shows with Opera Roanoke, Mill Mountain Theatre, and Radford University. Emily attended summer intensives at the Richmond Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and on scholarship with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She spent her senior year of high school at the Virginia School of the Arts in Lynchburg, VA under the late Petrus Bosman, and then danced as a trainee at Richmond Ballet. In 2008, Emily relocated to Charlottesville to help co-found the Charlottesville Ballet and to attend the University of Virginia, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Management & Arts Administration. She danced in CB’s professional company throughout its first decade and retired from dancing in 2018. She continues to lead the organization’s marketing and development efforts and launch collaborations with nonprofit and performing arts partners. Emily is thankful to all who have made this 17-year journey possible!