Emily Speed grew up in Argyle, TX, and received her classical training from Hugh Nini, Marina Almayeva, and Henry Danton. Throughout her career, she danced for Ballet Tucson, Alabama Ballet, Colorado Ballet as a demi-soloist, and, most recently, Ballet Idaho as a leading artist. Her favorite leading roles include Danielle in Danielle Rowe’s Dreamland, Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading, Lilac Garden, and Pillar of Fire, Clara, Dew Drop and Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker, Pink Couple in Clark Tippet’s Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, Red Couple in Twyla Tharp’s A Brief Fling and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, among numerous others. Emily performed at Vail Dance Fest in 2015, 2017, and 2019 and at Battery Dance Festival in New York City in 2021. Emily appears as a principal guest artist across the country.