“Emma Portner’s body is her megaphone and she’s using it to queer up the dance world,” a recent article said about Emma Portner. The Canadian dancer and choreographer is young, beautiful, and her extraordinary performances are leaving her audiences breathless. Portner is already considered a “rising star” of contemporary dance in London und New York.

Due to sickness, Porter was unable to attend the schedule performances this past week, July 7–8, but her film premiere of Femme Debout, created specially for the exhibition of Francis Bacon & Alberto Giacometti, will be taking place today, August 9, 2018 at Fondation Beyeler.

Portner’s complex and delicate choreography draws on the grotesque, the artificial, and extreme emotionality – all elements that also lie at the heart of Bacon’s and Giacometti’s work.

Photos Alexander Black

Portner showed immediate enthusiasm at the idea of collaborating with the Fondation Beyeler: “Bacon and Giacometti are two of my favorite visual artists of all time. They both have moved me so deeply for years. They broke boundaries and made us uncomfortable. They made us reflect on a deeper level. I couldn’t resist this collaboration. It was an immediate ‘yes’ from my side. It is also a complete honor to collaborate with the Fondation Beyeler. Bringing movement in response to stillness is fascinating. It is a chance for these works to come to life. It is a chance for me to give these still pieces real breathing bodies.”

Portner is the youngest woman ever to choreograph a musical in London’s West End, Bat Out Of Hell. She achieved international fame when she appeared in a music video of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. In 2012, she was named “Young Choreographer of the Year” at the American Dance Awards – the first of many distinctions. She is currently working on a creation for the New York City Ballet.

Emma Portner / Femme Debout
Premieres August 9, 2018 / Fondation Beyeler
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