Emma Portner Biography

Emma Portner is a Canadian dancer and choreographer who became famous when her short dance film ‘Dancing in the Dark’ went viral. She was associated with Leeming DanceWorks and the National Ballet of Canada in her early years. However, she decided to break away from ballet and train in contemporary dance at Canterbury High School in Canada and later at The Ailey School in New York City. Her exposure to the industry grew rapidly in New York, and she started collaborating with many other dance groups. Her breakthrough arrived when her collaborative dance video with Matt Luck ‘Dancing in the Dark’ went viral. Offers and accolades soon began to pour in, and Emma was named the Young Choreographer of the Year by the American Dance Awards. Her next big project was Justin Bieber’s video ‘Life Is Worth Living’, in which she featured alongside Patrick Cook. It went on to garner over 50 million views on YouTube and following its success, she was roped in to choreograph Justin Bieber’s world tour. Apart from collaborating with many famous artists, Emma also works as a faculty for Broadway Dance Center, Peridance; and Intrigue Dance Convention. She currently runs and managers her company, Emma Portner and Artists.