nportman120810_04_X17230WM.jpgNatalie Portman's fiance, Benjamin Millepied, is taking center stage ... talking about his relationship with the Oscar winner and defending her dancing abilities in Black Swan.

Millepied, who met Portman on set while choreographing the movie, tells the Los Angeles Times:

    "It was so believable, it was fantastic, that beautiful movement quality. There are articles now talking about her dance double that are making it sound like [Sarah Lane, her body double] did a lot of the work, but really, she just did the footwork, and the fouettes, and one diagonal [phrase] in the studio. Honestly, 85% of that movie is Natalie."


Millepied goes on to say accusations criticizing Natalie's integrity as a dancer are baseless. The soon-to-be daddy adds:

    "[I made] things fluid and not too complicated ... Natalie took class, she studied for several months, from the waist up is her. Sarah Lane, a soloist at ABT, did the heavy tricks, she did the fouettes, but they only had her for a limited time ... She [Portman] definitely put her work in. Just in a couple of months, she looked credible -- all the dancers on the set were really impressed at how well she pulled that off -- it was pretty amazing."


Bravo, Natalie! Find out at what age Portman began studying ballet ... after the jump.