Emma Leone

Emma Leone is originally from Pittsburgh, PA where she trained over 10 years with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, rising to join their Full-Time Pre-Professional Division. While a student she was cast to perform alongside the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre company dancers in Arthur Saint-Leon’s Coppelia, McFall and Stallings’ The Great Gatsby, and Terrence S. Orr’s The Nutcracker.

Emma balanced the rigors of pursuing a professional career as a classical ballet dancer with a demanding high school schedule of honors courses. Due to her unique dedication to both the arts and academics, Emma was requested by her high school to pioneer the district’s first fully online academic curriculum. She subsequently continued her dance education with Miami City Ballet School in their Pre-Professional Ensemble Program where she performed roles in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Gerard Ebitz original pieces, and Mikhail Fokine’s Les Sylphides.

After a career-ending injury, Emma pivoted her deepening respect for the body’s ability to create beauty to her future academic pursuits. Emma graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Florida with a dual degree Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Focus in Neuroscience and Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, during which time she developed a passion for neurology and research. She worked for two years after graduating from college as a Research Assistant with the world-renowned Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida before matriculating to University of Florida College of Medicine in 2021.

Emma looks forward to applying the discipline, concentration, patience, perseverance, and creativity she developed as a dancer to her future career as a Neurologist. Furthermore, Emma is eager as a Second Act Mentor to support fellow former dancers discover a passion for a new career as deep as the love they had for dance.