Why Benjamin Millepied Is Natalie Portman’s Favorite Dancer Partner

Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates from Your Next Shoes. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure for more details.

Joined by her husband Benjamin Millepied, who left his live-in girlfriend Isabella Boylston to date Natalie Portman, the 40-year-old Star Wars actress stepped out for the Unforgettable Evening Under the Stars event held on Saturday evening in Los Angeles.

Natalie Portman and her husband Benjamin Millepied attend the Unforgettable Evening Under the Stars eventNatalie Portman and her husband Benjamin Millepied attend the Unforgettable Evening Under the Stars event held on October 16, 2021, in Los Angeles (Credit: MEGA / WENN)

Benefiting the L.A. Dance Project, which the 44-year-old choreographer Benjamin Millepied founded back in 2011, the couple was also joined by Jane Fonda, Paula Abdul, Andie MacDowell, Jennifer Grey, Sara Sampaio, Panic Room’s Jodie Foster, Alexandra Hedison, and Barry Jenkins.

Natalie Portman wore an architectural little black Mugler 1981 Vampire dressNatalie Portman wore an architectural little black Mugler 1981 Vampire dress (Credit: MEGA / WENN)

Meeting on the set of the 2010 film Black Swan, Millepied and Portman celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary this year. They recently spent several months in Australia as she filmed the upcoming American superhero film Thor: Love And Thunder.

“Still my favorite dance partner. #8years,” Portman wrote on Instagram in 2020 to celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary. They married on August 4, 2012, and share two children together.

“It was really fun because I think he knows me so well, and what my strengths and weaknesses are in dancing, that he was really able to create choreography very seamlessly and quickly because we had very little time,” Portman told People in 2018 about working with her husband on the 2018 American drama film Vox Lux, which was a box office flop.

“So it was very convenient that he knew me so well, and that he’s as talented as he is.”

“It was fun to get to watch him create because I don’t often watch him in the studio. Just to see the ease and the expertise that he has, and of course with different kinds of dance too, was really, really stunning.”

Natalie Portman shows off her feet in black ankle-strap sandalsNatalie Portman shows off her feet in black ankle-strap sandals (Credit: MEGA / WENN)

For the event held at a private residence in Beverly Hills, Portman wore a black vintage Mugler 1981 Haute Couture ‘Vampire’ strapless dress. She completed her look with Fernando Jorge jewelry and matching black ankle-strap sandals.

Natalie Portman Jimmy Kimmel Charlotte Olympia 1Natalie Portman arrives at the ABC studios for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in Los Angeles on August 26, 2016 (Credit: Michael Wright / WENN)

Maybe it’s because we’re comparing Natalie Portman to her “Black Swan” character, but we have always assumed that the actress is the type to arrive at an appointment way ahead of time.

While most of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” guests arrive at the ABC Studios location fully dressed and ready to go, in August 2016 Natalie arrived quite leisurely in her — dare we say — mommy clothes.

Natalie arrived with sunglasses for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after recently moving her entire family to Los Angeles.

Natalie Portman shows off her feet in unreleased Charlotte Olympia bow wedge sandalsNatalie Portman shows off her feet in unreleased Charlotte Olympia bow wedge sandals (Credit: Michael Wright / WENN)

The actress wore an ill-fitting black long-sleeved top with a pair of white jeans that did nothing for her figure. The quilted Dior bag and funky speckled sunglasses were the only good parts of this sloppy outfit.

Natalie wore a pair of Charlotte Olympia bow wedge sandals, which we suspect were custom-made since an all-black version was never released.

Natalie Portman left little to be desired with her ill-fitting outfitNatalie Portman left little to be desired with her ill-fitting outfit (Credit: Michael Wright / WENN)

As disappointing as her backstage outfit was, Natalie more than made up for it with a plunging sequined number during the actual interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

During the show, Natalie talked about how her five-year-old son has never seen “Star Wars” and will most likely be unable to see “Black Swan” for at least the next couple of years. She also argued that people in Los Angles are friendlier than Parisians.

“I got here and I was so surprised when you get in an elevator and someone starts a conversation … or someone would smile at my child,” Portman said about adjusting to living in Los Angeles.

Natalie Portman during an appearance on ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to promote her film A Tale of Love and DarknessNatalie Portman during an appearance on ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to promote her film A Tale of Love and Darkness (Credit: ABC / WENN)

“There’s a lot of rules of politeness and codes of behavior there that you have to follow,” Portman said about living in the French capital.

“When you go in some place, you have to say ‘Bonjour’ before you say anything else, and then you have to wait two seconds before you say anything else.” Unless you follow this protocol, she says, “They’ll think you’re super rude and then they’ll be rude to you.”

Charlotte Olympia’s interesting leopard and acrylic panther bow wedges are unfortunately no longer available online.

Charlotte Olympia Bow Wedge Sandals, $298 – $462.49

Charlotte Olympia Bow Wedge Sandals

Charlotte Olympia Bow Wedge Sandals

Charlotte Olympia Bow Wedge Sandals

Charlotte Olympia Bow Wedge Sandals