What You Don't Know About Elliot Page's Wife
Actor and activist Elliot Page's wife Emma Portner couldn't be prouder of her partner for sharing his truth. In a heartfelt and raw note posted on Twitter, Page came out as transgender and expressed gratitude towards his support system, while also being honest about discrimination that transgender people face every single day. Page ended his note with "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better."
By speaking these powerful words into existence on a public platform, Page shows his continued dedication to raising awareness for the LGBTQ+ community. Portner posted Page's empowering speech on her Instagram, and reiterated a request for patience, understanding, and privacy made in Page's note (via Page Six). Portner wrote "Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world. I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot's existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much."
Reading these loving words makes us want to know more about Page's number-one supporter.
Emma Portner is a critically acclaimed choreographer and dancer
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Portner is a versatile dancer who has been in the dance industry for a long time. She started dancing at a young age, and has made waves in the dance world ever since. She's only 26 years old, yet she's won multiple awards for her creativity and vision, including the 2012 American Dance Awards' Young Choreographer of the Year and ranked high in 2014's CAPEZIO A.C.E. Awards (via Broadway Dance Center).
Even without the accolades, her love of dance and the stories you tell through movement is clear in the dance film "Dancing in the Dark," which she created with fellow dancer Matt Luck (via YouTube). Many of the comments on the video, both old and new, share the sentiment that Portner's moves carry a lot of emotion behind them and bring the story to life. This is just one of the pieces that highlights her creativity and drive as a choreographer.
Emma Portner has worked with Justin Bieber
Portner started choreographing at just 14 years old, but got her name out there when she starred in another dance film called "Life is Worth Living" (via YouTube). If this film sounds familiar, that's because it was produced by fellow Canadian Justin Bieber and blew up with over 53 million views. This opened new doors for Portner and took her from producing shows in New York in front of an almost empty auditorium to being the youngest woman to choreograph a musical on London's West End (via Dance Magazine). This growth in such a short amount of time practically solidified her place in the dance world.
If you search up Portner's Instagram, where she has 279,000 followers, you will get unique snapshots into her personality and style, like this stunning piece where she casually encouraged her fans to vote using the "dance for democracy" hashtag.
Like Elliot Page, Emma Portner is a fierce advocate for what she believes in
She's very vocal about the double standards she faces as a woman who identifies as queer. In an interview with Bustle, Portner criticized gender norms in the dance industry and shared her own experience meeting these expectations head on. "There's this weird norm happening [at convention classes] where they'll call out, 'OK — only the boys come out.' And it's unfair, because in dance there's an extreme imbalance of woman to men, especially in the commercial contemporary world. So if there's a boys' group, they get so much more seen than the women. They get more space. They get more for their money. They just get more," she explained. By exposing this issue, she further shows how our society as a whole has a lot of work to do when it comes to equal rights.
She also added that now that she's become more popular both on Instagram and in the dance community, she can actively use her platform to reach people who either don't feel seen or are ready to learn more, whether it's "a closeted and questioning friend down the street. Or that misunderstanding parent upstairs. Or the 'you' on the other side of this screen now."
Although Portner and Page live a quiet life in New York City, they continue to stand up for what's right in their own ways while also elevating the voices of others (via Page Six).