From Rejoice to the Professional Stage: Emmaline Weedman Joins Lexington Ballet

Former Rejoice School of Ballet student Emmaline Weedman is making history becoming the first alumni to join a professional ballet company. Emmaline will take the stage for the 2025–2026 season as a company artist with Lexington Ballet, marking an exciting milestone for our Rejoice family.

“I am thrilled for Emmaline Weedman to be chosen as a professional dancer with Lexington Ballet this fall. She is a very talented, hardworking artist who deserves this honor,” said Patricia Cross, founder of Rejoice School of Ballet. "I recognized Emmaline’s talent at an early age. She was not only talented, but she was also an extremely hard worker, had a gift for performing and acting and was a team player.”

Roots at Rejoice

Emmaline credited Rejoice with shaping her both as a dancer and as a person. She said her teachers challenged her, encouraged her, and taught her to value dancing in community with people from different backgrounds.

"The teachers saw me, challenged me, and encouraged me to keep growing. But more than that, Rejoice taught me how to be a teammate and a friend. It helped me become a more empathetic person and showed me the beauty of dancing in community with people from all kinds of backgrounds,” Emmaline said. "Rejoice shaped me by never doubting that I could succeed, pushing me when I needed, and investing in me day in and day out. It gave me friends that I still have today, and a place to come home to, no matter where dance has taken me.”

Her mother, Jo Ellen Weedman, remembers those early days well.

“We started at Rejoice because we were new to Nashville and looking for friends,” Jo Ellen said. “A couple of moms in the neighborhood told me about Rejoice, so we signed up just to see if Emmaline liked ballet. After her first class, the teacher suggested she come twice a week and moved her up a level. She never looked back!”

Jo Ellen described Rejoice as their family for many years, praising the mentorship of Cross and her staff.

“She definitely grew in skill thanks to expert teachers. She had great performance opportunities that built her confidence. But the thing that meant the most to me is how she grew in empathy and awareness of people who were different from her,” Jo Ellen said. "“Ballet can be so competitive and cut-throat, but at Rejoice she learned to cheer for others and support others, and she took that with her into other training environments. She made art with a community that was diverse and to watch how the creative process in the midst of diversity has made her a more aware and empathetic adult is what means the most to me about her time at Rejoice."

Steps That Shaped a Dancer

Patricia recalled one of her fondest memories of a young Emmaline: Her 2015 performance as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.

“Though she was only 12, she performed the role beautifully, including the pas de deux with Gerald Watson of Nashville Ballet, who staged the ballet for Rejoice,” Cross said. “I am very proud of her and expect we will see great opportunities ahead.”

“My teachers and mentors spent hours passing down the magical details of that role. I’ll never forget the thrill of stepping on stage,” Emmaline added.

In addition to her Sleeping Beauty performance, Emmaline’s own favorite memories also includes dancing in Saam Psalms, Gerald Watson’s original ballet that explored themes of healing and truth.

“That experience showed me how powerful and healing dance can be when it tells real, honest stories,” Emmaline said. 

Her training later expanded thanks to Rejoice’s partnership with the School of Nashville Ballet.

"That partnership changed the game for me. Training at the School of Nashville Ballet gave me access to a more intensive level of training and put me in the room with dancers who inspired me to push myself every single day,” Emmaline said. "It helped me gain confidence, refine my technique, and understand what it takes to be a professional. It also proved to me again just how incredible Rejoice was. I had been prepared for years by excellent teachers who know ballet inside and out."

Training at the Next Level

Emmaline graduated in 2025 from Butler University’s Jordan College of the Arts with a degree in Dance Arts Administration. Consistently ranked among the top five collegiate ballet programs in the nation, the program is acclaimed for its rigorous classical ballet training and professional development opportunities. Through this program, Emmaline studied business, communications, and nonprofit management on top of her dance technique and dance academics curriculum.

The Department of Dance offers a rich environment for developing dancers of the highest caliber, combining technical precision, artistic mentorship, and diverse performance experiences.

During senior year at Butler, Emmaline juggled finishing up classes, performing, and auditioning for ballet companies from January to May.

“It was both nerve-wracking and exciting to finally be displaying all of the training and preparation I have been doing since Rejoice,” she said.

In all, Emmaline attended 20 in-person auditions and sent out almost 50 audition emails.

The Road to the Professional Stage

The path to becoming a professional ballet dancer is notoriously difficult. It demands years of disciplined training, exceptional resilience, and the ability to meet both artistic and physical expectations. Even among talented young dancers, only an estimated 3% to 10% secure positions in professional companies.

“I wanted Rejoice to be a school where a student with potential would receive excellent training in preparation for a professional career if that was their desire. I also recognized that very few students would desire to become professional dancers and I wanted those students to feel accepted and an important part of the school as well,” Patricia Cross said. "I figured becoming excellent at something was good for a student’s self esteem and work ethic, and would serve them well in what ever field they chose to be a part of."

For Emmaline, earning a place with Lexington Ballet is the fulfillment of a dream she has pursued since childhood.

“Receiving a contract offer from a professional company was so surreal. I still feel a little shocked by the whole thing. Working towards something specific for such a long time and finally achieving it was something I will never forget,” Emmaline said. “I am most excited to continue growing as a dancer and artist as I transition from student to professional, and to share my passion for this art form with Lexington audiences.”

Her advice to current Rejoice students is simple:

“Be a sponge! Take in everything your teachers give you. Consistency and hard work will get you anywhere you want to go. Let yourself grow slowly and steadily, and show up for yourself and others every day when you walk into the studio.”

As Emmaline prepares to take her first professional bow, her Rejoice family will be cheering the loudest.