Jessica Wallenfels is a director/choreographer/performer who has been creating and producing original theatrical performance in Los Angeles, New York City and Portland since 1997.
Projects include “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” opening Feb. 22 at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, as well as “Romeo and Juliet” at OSF in 2007. She was awarded a Drammy Award in 2008 for her choreography in “Sometimes a Great Notion” at Portland Center Stage, where she also choreographed "Twelfth Night," and "The Beard of Avon," as well as assisting on “Pride and Prejudice."
Jessica’s original dance theater piece “Rest Room” was performed at the Gerding Theater women’s bathroom, as well as in PCS’ JAW Festival. She directed and performed in Many Hats Collaboration’s “Break, Then Open,” “Stages,” (JAW Festival) and choreographed “Mutt.”
Her work has been presented in New York City (HERE Arts Center, ps 122, La Ma Ma e.t.c.), Los Angeles (Mark Taper Forum, the Globe Theaters, Walt Disney Concert Hall) and Tanglewood Music Center. She is an associate artist with Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. Wallenfels holds a BFA from California Institute of the Arts and attended Dell’Arte International.
Jessica has taught theater and dance for Portland Center Stage's Greenhouse, Oregon Children's Theater, Northwest Children's Theater outreach program, Higher Stages outreach through Tears of Joy, California State Summer School of the Arts, Imagine That! Summer Adventures and Girl Scouts. In the Portland area, she has performed with Hand2mouth Theater and Tears of Joy.
She studied dance and mask carving in Bali, Indonesia, as well as Flamenco dance in Portland, Ore. and Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.