Emily O’Nail (she/her), originally from Raleigh, NC, fell in love with dance at four years old and received much of her early training at the Raleigh School of Ballet under the direction of Mary LeGere and Susan Galdy. She trained extensively in ballet, spending her summers with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and American Repertory Ballet before earning her degree in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University.

While at Butler, Emily studied Graham, Taylor, and Cunningham techniques under Susan McGuire. A summer at the American Dance Festival—where she was selected to perform a restaging of Martha Graham’s Dark Meadow Suite, staged by Blakely White McGuire and Masha Maddux—further inspired her passion for modern and contemporary dance. After graduating, she returned to Raleigh and joined Black Box Dance Theatre under the direction of Michelle Pearson, where she made her professional debut, returning to the American Dance Festival stage as a performer.

Emily moved to Chicago in the summer of 2023 and received a scholarship through the Claire Bataille Legacy Program at Chicago Movement Collective. There, she had the privilege of training with Ethan Kirschbaum, Patti Eylar, Shannon Alvis, and Imani English while apprenticing with Winifred Haun & Dancers, performing works by Winifred Haun, Ariel Dorsey, and Sarita Childs Smith.

In addition to performing, Emily brings extensive experience in dance education, arts administration, and nonprofit development. She has held development, administrative, and front-of-house roles at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and several local dance studios, deepening her commitment to supporting artists and building vibrant dance communities.

Emily joined Aerial Dance Chicago for its 25th season in 2024 and now serves as a company dancer, program coordinator, and teaching artist. She is honored to support ADC's mission in many capacities—behind the scenes, in the studio, and on stage.