Dance Alum Emry Wride Shares How BYU Shaped Her Growth, Confidence and Transition into Professional Dance in New York City.
Long before she performed in front of the iconic Saks Fifth Avenue holiday lights, Emry Wride (BA Dance ‘21) found her passion in dance – a passion that began as a safe haven during her childhood and has since propelled her to the stage with the renowned Radio City Rockettes.
Wride grew up with a love for movement that gave her confidence at a young age. Diagnosed with severe anxiety at age five, Wride said she could not attend school without her mother being there almost the entire time. Dance, however, became a place where she could express herself freely and build the confidence to face the world.
“Dance was the first place I felt truly confident. It was my safe space and my creative outlet – the one thing I could do without fear,” Wride said. “Through dance, I learned to trust myself and build the confidence I needed to navigate the world. From that moment on, there was never any doubt that dance would be a central part of my life.”
As she studied, Wride embraced the full BYU experience. She performed as a Cougarette for four years, serving as captain for three, and danced with Contemporary Dance Theatre during her senior year. Though her senior year coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, Wride says it became her favorite. During this time, she also met and married her husband, who performed as BYU’s mascot, Cosmo, and on the dunk team.
“BYU was a safe place to dream big,” Wride said. “Whenever I shared my aspirations to move to New York, my professors, peers and leaders never doubted me or questioned my goals. They asked, ‘How can we help you?’”
Wride says her education in the Department of Dance gave her not only technical training but also increased confidence, self-awareness and a sense of belonging. She learned to embrace both the athletic and artistic sides of dance, realizing she could define her own path.
“People often made assumptions about the way I danced based on which path I followed,” Wride said. “Over time, I realized it did not need to be one or the other. I could embrace both and learn to dance as myself. That confidence and self-awareness have shaped how I approach every opportunity in my career.
After graduating in 2021, Wride danced with Odyssey Dance Theatre for a year before making the move to New York City. There, she joined a four-month training program to refine her skills. On a whim, toward the end of the training program, she auditioned for the Rockettes – a “whim” that turned into a five-month audition and conservatory process. Today, she has completed her third season with the beloved ensemble.
One of Wride’s favorite memories with the Rockettes came this past Christmas season, during a period when the group performed more than 100 shows in just two months. They had to put together a new number in just a few days. With Fifth Avenue shut down for only 15 minutes to rehearse, there was little room for error.
“When we ran out to find our marks, everything was black, and we were expected to be near perfect,” Wride said. “It was terrifying – we had to completely rely on each other – but it also showed me how precise and connected we can be as a team.”
The experience, though high-pressure, became one of her most memorable.
“Performing directly on the street and feeling the energy of the city around us was exhilarating. It is a moment I will never forget,” she said.
Wride credits her success to the ensemble-focused mindset she developed at BYU.
“Most professional opportunities are in ensemble and group settings,” Wride said. “Now I dance in one of the most precise ensembles in the world, where the goal is to move as one. There is no competition, only community. That lesson, first becoming apparent to me at BYU, continues to shape how I work, perform and collaborate each day.”
Her time at BYU also included international experiences, such as traveling to China in 2019, which shaped her view of art as a way to cross language and cultural barriers.
“Art is a universal language; it can cross barriers that words sometimes cannot,” Wride said. “I was able to connect with people who did not speak any English and share meaningful, tender moments through dance. That trip reminded me that the impact of art goes far beyond performance. It has the power to bring people together across cultures and create lasting connections.”
Looking back, Wride emphasizes that pursuing a career in the arts requires both passion and balance.
“Your hobbies and passions can turn into a job, but it is also important to separate dance as a career from dance as a creative outlet,” she said. “Keep finding ways to let your creativity breathe, and the work will feel meaningful, even on the challenging days.”
Wride is unsure of what her next steps will be – she may perform with the Rockettes for another decade, or she may pursue new dreams. The most important thing, she says, is to keep dreaming big.
“The most important thing is that I am not done dreaming, and I am still open to where those dreams might take me,” she said.
For current CFAC students, Wride emphasizes the importance of building relationships and making memories while in school.
“Work hard, but also make memories, try new things and live life to the fullest. You will not always remember every class or assignment, but you will remember the experiences, the people and the moments that made you feel alive,” she said. “Do not forget to dance in every sense of the word and savor the journey.”