Emma Barrowman, a Canadian native born in 1986, spent her formative years in a small mountain town in British Columbia, where her fascination for dance took root. Enrolling at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Professional Division at 13, she dedicated five years to comprehensive studies in dance and academics, receiving the Prince Edward Award upon graduation. Following this, Emma joined the Cannes Jeune Ballet at the Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, where she spent a year with its Junior Company under the direction of Monique Loudières, concurrently performing in Italy with Leggere Strutture Art Factory.
In 2006, she joined the Bavarian State Ballet as an apprentice for a year before becoming a demi-soloist by 2010. During her time in Munich, she danced many significant roles, particularly in the contemporary repertoire, receiving the Irène Lejeune Dance Award in 2013. Meanwhile, Emma regularly participated in independent projects as a choreographer, performer, and collaborator, whether in rural parts of Bavaria or Munich’s nightlife scene.
She joined the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch ensemble in 2015, where she has since performed various roles in Pina Bausch's repertoire, collaborated on the UNDERGROUND series, as well as created new works with invited art-makers.