Hi! My name is Emily Winkel, and my story begins in Mesa, Arizona, where I fell in love with dance at just three years old. Before fully committing to dance, I spent six years as a competitive gymnast, earning state and regional titles, before my heart led me back to the studio at age eleven. I trained across all styles, competed on my studio’s pre-professional company, and had the honor of winning numerous scholarships, group national titles, and solo national titles.

The summer before ninth grade, my family moved to Arkansas, where I joined my high school’s dance team as a way to meet friends and get involved in my new community. These years ended up being the catalyst behind my love for dance team as I grew not just as a dancer, but as a leader, and had so much fun while doing so. I was honored to receive All-State recognition three years in a row and had a newfound drive to continue pursuing dance team at the next level.

I went on to attend the University of Arkansas, where I graduated with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and minors in Human Development and Medical Humanities. Being a four-year member of the Razorback Dance Team was one of the greatest gifts of my college experience and receiving All-SEC Team Honors, the Team Outstanding Member Award, the Jean Nail Service and Legacy Award, and being selected as a Senior of Significance by the University are achievements I hold close to my heart. Getting to perform across the country at Bowl Games, SEC tournaments, and March Madness alongside some of my dearest friends made it all the more special and opened my eyes to the endless opportunities being on a dance team could bring. I couldn’t get enough of the energy and excitement of representing something so much bigger than myself, and my passion only grew after my four years.

After college, I married my best friend, Ryan, and we moved to Flower Mound, Texas, where I had the incredible privilege of dancing professionally with the Dallas Mavericks for three years. From performing across Texas to internationally at the NBA Global Games in Abu Dhabi and the NBA Finals, and alongside artists like T-Pain and Leon Bridges, it was a season of my life I will never forget and will always be grateful for.

After 11 years of dancing on high school, college, and professional teams, I knew I wanted my next chapter to include inspiring and teaching the next generation. When the opportunity came to step into coaching as the Head Varsity Coach at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, I poured that same love into developing my athletes’ talent and character and had the rewarding opportunity of watching the program grow into a UDA competing team. Even being on this side of things, I couldn’t get enough of dance team and these first two years of coaching solidified the trajectory of my life working with young dancers.

This past year brought me full circle, back home to Arizona, where I now have the joy and honor of serving as Head Varsity Coach at one of the most decorated and esteemed programs in the nation. I also teach at local studios, working with dancers of all ages, and I cherish every moment of it.

When I look back on everything, it is clear that dance team gave me some of the most defining experiences of my life — the thrill of performing, the standard of professionalism, the friendships that have lasted a lifetime, and a joy that is simply impossible to put into words. Passing that on to the next generation of dancers is, without question, my greatest passion, and my hope is that Prepped and Ready Dance furthers my mission to help build confidence, make dreams come true, and impact my dancers both as performers and as people.