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Member Spotlight: Q&A with Jessica Oryall

Who is Jessica Oryall in a sentence?
I’m an emerging, independent, and multidisciplinary Peruvian-born dance artist, choreographer, and film professional, currently carving out a creative niche that exists at the intersection of these three disciplines.

Tell us a bit about your work and practice:
For the most part, dance is a paralinguistic mode of expression. Without words, my deep and lifelong love and proclivity for percussion and rhythm quickly became my focus in the way I choose to fully express myself in dance. They’ve always informed and remained at the forefront of my artistic process and are, unsurprisingly, the main things that drew me to study flamenco. The core of my practice mainly consists of listening, replication, repetition, and improv. Flamenco is a percussive dance, meaning that I’m constantly considering and focusing on elements of musicality beyond just rhythm and tempo.

When it comes to practicing footwork, I’m always working to bring out musical subtleties and nuance by focusing on intonation, cadence, volume, timbre, and phrasing as well. There’s a cyclical process—wherein technique feeds into creativity and creative possibilities can be realized through strong technique. This process, through time and consistency, serves to strengthen my musicality and interpretation when I perform as I need to be both a dancer as much as a musician. I was invited to perform an original work titled Comienzos when I made my debut with the Flamenco Rosario Dance Company this past May. Since its first showing in late 2024, I’ve continually revised it, never dancing it the same way twice. I update my choreography to reflect my evolving technique, ideas, and growing confidence; As I refine my skills, my ability to breathe life into my choreography grows with it.

How long have you been dancing?
I’ve danced many styles including Swing, Salsa, Ballroom, Hip Hop, Heels, and Flamenco over the course of 18 years.

How does dance fit into your life currently- Are there any upcoming projects you want to share with us?
Dance remains a constant in my life and I am almost always fluctuating between practice, rehearsals, and performances for the various companies and projects I’m a part of on a weekly basis. In my own time, I’ve been exploring how the visual and auditory storytelling capabilities of film can offer a framework to capture the deeply personal and passionate nature of Flamenco. I examine how the pairing of music, sound design, and camera movement becomes both a tool and a means to immerse the viewer and show them the work from a perspective they don’t often see.

These additions can amplify the emotional layers already embedded within the dance itself. Whether I’m working on small, experimental vignettes or expansive, complete works, my explorations in musical composition and sound design have led me to focus mainly on polyrhythms, soundscapes and foley techniques. I create acoustic environments to serve as a background on which I can experiment by combining and compositing percussive instrumentation with other sounds, effects, or footwork. I’m currently working on a piece under the working title Interlude that uses a few of these techniques. It is still in the pre visualization stage, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed where my curiosity has taken me.

How would you describe dance’s impact on your life?
Dance is my sanctuary in many ways—a place of solace, connection, fulfillment, and community, but it’s also a place where I’ve confronted deep pain and uncertainty. It has kept me grounded in honesty and has taught me discipline, commitment, resilience, humility, and courage and continues to be my greatest and most brutal teacher. Flamenco “baile” in particular, calls for deep, authentic, soulful expression, and attentiveness that pushes both the mind and body to its limit.

I’ve never encountered a style of dance that demands so much of me—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Yet, in its challenge, it has equally been a source of profound healing in helping me embrace parts of myself I once considered flawed or shameful. It has served as a powerful tool for self-discovery and expression while also providing a vibrant community of other artists who constantly inspire and encourage me to explore new possibilities.

What three core values drive your engagement with dance?
Authenticity, humility, and perseverance

Do you have a particular practice that you carry out each day or have you implemented new practices over the last few years?
Listening to music—across a variety of genres—has refined my ability to hear and interpret rhythm at a granular level. I can implement a more dynamic range when I’m dancing which has really helped with my musicality and interpretation. Additionally, I try to seek out challenge or inspiration outside of my normal day to day practice. I cross-train in other dance styles when my schedule allows, I attend dance shows whenever possible in styles that are often less familiar to me, I engage in discourse with other artists who are masters of their craft and are willing to provide insights and advice, and I have, more recently, started a practice where I reflect on my own performances either through journaling or video analysis as a way to engage in honest self-assessment.

What would you say are the most significant benefits for you in being a Dance Centre member?
Being a member of the Dance Centre has offered me invaluable resources, opportunities, and guidance as I’ve developed my work and career. Having access to their subsidized studio space has been invaluable for my personal practice as well as a space to hold rehearsals and small showcasings. It’s provided a place of community as well as a platform where the needs and voices of artists are prioritized.

Jessica’s Member Profile
Jessica’s Instagram

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Photos: Thelonius Dule Mthombeni