Emma Portner


Emma Portner is a Canadian professional dancer and choreographer.

Early life

Portner was born in Ottawa, Ontario on November 26, 1994, and began dancing when she was three years old. She started dancing at Leeming DanceWorks in Ottawa before spending her summers with The National Ballet of Canada. While in Ottawa she also attended Canterbury High School's specialized arts program in their dance stream. When she was 16, she moved from Ottawa, Ontario to New York City to train at The Ailey School.

Career

Portner created the choreography for Jim Steinman's Bat Out of Hell The Musical. In 2015, she choreographed and starred in Justin Bieber's music video for his song "Life is Worth Living". She also created the choreography for Bieber's Purpose World Tour.
, her work has been displayed in a variety of environments including Apple, Netflix, and Vogue, as well as professional Ballet. She has movement directed Indie music stars such as; Blood Orange, Maggie Rogers, and BANKS and she has performed prestigious venues like The Guggenheim Museum, Jacob's Pillow, and New York City Center. In 2019, she was nominated for Arena Dance Competition's "Best Female Dancer" and "Rising Star" of the year. Paper Magazine also listed Portner in "PAPER Predictions; 100 people to watch in 2019".
Portner quit teaching in 2017 to focus on choreographic and performance endeavors, film and personal health. She continues to pursue acting, dance, movement directing, and training.

Personal life

In January 2018, Portner married her girlfriend, actress Ellen Page. The couple met after Page noticed Portner on Instagram. They live together in New York City.