Meet Andy and Emmi Wheeler: This year, the Dancing for the Arts stage is getting a father daughter duo! Andy and Emmi Wheeler are trading their usual family adventures for dance rehearsals as they take on this experience together.
At 13 years old, Emmi is an eighth grader at Cannon School and a self proclaimed lover of all things creative, especially bedazzling. She also plays both violin and piano and is a proud member of the Cannon Middle School Cheer Squad. Dance, however, has been a particularly big part of her life. Emmi is beginning her 12th year of dancing and is celebrating her fifth year with Dance Expressions Competition Dance Team.
Emmi also has a big heart for giving back and enjoys volunteering with organizations such as Bags of Hope. For her, Dancing for the Arts brings together three things she cares deeply about: family, dance, and helping others. Getting to share the stage with her dad makes it even more special.
Andy is an owner operator at TechMedIQ, where he sells and services diagnostic imaging equipment. He and his wife, Renee, are raising Emmi and their son, Everett, in Concord, along with Kenan, the family beagle poodle mix. Outside of work, Andy serves on the board at Cannon School, where he and Renee head up the Cannon Fund. He also serves on the board of the Heineman Robicsek Foundation, a Charlotte nonprofit that donates and installs imaging equipment in hospitals in underserved countries.
When he is not working or giving back, Andy enjoys scuba diving, cheering on the Tar Heels, and most of all, traveling with his family. This year, though, one of his biggest adventures is likely to happen a little closer to home.
For Andy and Emmi, Dancing for the Arts is a chance to share something new together while supporting a cause they both care about. Whether its traveling somewhere new, going to a basketball game, learning to scuba dive, playing cards around a table or apparently entering a dance competition the experiences you make together become the stories your family tells forever, says Andy. Emmi brings nearly 12 years of dance experience to the partnership, while Andy is bringing some epic wedding reception dance skills and his willingness to learn. We cannot wait to see this father daughter team take the stage.
Getting to know Andy and Emmi:
What is one thing people are always surprised to learn about you?
Emmi: "I've been to 16 states, including Alaska and Hawaii!"
Andy: "That Im a scuba diver. I love being underwater. Its a way to completely unplug and experience a whole new world."
Andy and Emmi are paired with Mariah Brewer, who teaches choreography at Dance Expressions and has been a professional dancer for almost 10 years. Mariah specializes in ballet and modern dancebut enjoys a good jazz routine! She has learned from and worked with various ballet and modern companies and studied dance abroad in London and Spain during her collegiate career at the University of Wyoming.
You can support Andy, Emmi, and Mariah by making a donation and spreading the word. Then mark your calendar for November 7, 2026, when they'll light up the stage at the Davis Theatre!
Grab your tickets at cabarrusartscouncil.org/dancing-for-the-arts or call 704.920.2787
The Cabarrus Arts Council was founded in 1980 in response to the North Carolina Arts Council's plan to establish a local arts council in every county. In 1982 the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners selected the arts council to serve as its Designated County Partner, receiving and distributing Grassroots funding from the state and the state arts council.
Today the arts council programs and operates the Davis Theatre and The Galleries, conducts one of North Carolina's largest art-in-education programs for both the Cabarrus County and Kannapolis City school systems, supports arts organizations and artists through grants and workshops and serves as a catalyst and consultant for public and corporate art.
