BAM Affiliation VANESSA THIESSEN (Dancer) is originally from Portland, OR. Thiessen trained at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre under the direction of Haydee Gutierrez. In 1995, she joined the company of Oregon Ballet Theatre under the direction of James Canfield and performed lead roles in ballets such as Giselle, Romeo & Juliet,
Who Cares? and Serenade. In 2003 she joined Smuin Ballet in San Francisco and has performed lead roles in many of Michael Smuin’s ballets such as Stabat Mater, Les Noces, Frankie & Johnny, Zorro!, Dancin’ with Gershwin, Fly Me to the Moon, Symphony of Psalms and Schubert Scherzo. Thiessen has worked with a diverse range of choreographers including Eliot Feld, Kirk Peterson, Trey McIntyre, David Parsons, and Bebe Miller. Thiessen joined ODC in 2008.