Emily Zhao

Emily Zhao, a student at Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, Georgia, has danced since the young age of 3. She started dancing at MorningStar Dance Academy at five years old, where she learned ballet first. Later, as she grew older, Emily was introduced to contemporary and Chinese folk while continuing to further her study of ballet. She began competing with a group at the age of 7, starting at Showstopper and International Dance Competition (IDC) and gradually working her way to more prestigious competitions, including Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), World Ballet Competition (WBC), American Dance Competition International Ballet Competition (ADC IBC) and UBC. As she grew older, she also started competing in solos, winning several awards and scholarships at Showstopper at the competitive level, Youth America Grand Prix, UBC, and American Ballet Competition (ABC). In 2021, Emily won a $500 traveling scholarship, a full scholarship to Bournonville Dance with the Masters, and a full tuition scholarship to American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive. This past summer, she attended the ABT SI for five weeks and loved it! She had learned many new things, met many new people, and experienced a unique environment for dance. The experience opened her eyes to the dance world, and she hopes to continue dancing throughout college to understand better the art of expressing emotions without words.