Janessa Dufty is of Australian and Filipino heritage, she grew up in Yamba, a small coastal town in Northern New South Wales. Janessa started dancing at the age of 5 at the Adele Lewis School of Dance, and it was during her time there she discovered her passion for the arts. She received a scholarship to attend the Queensland Dance School of Excellence where she finished her senior studies and gained her Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal Award. While in Brisbane she also performed in the Queensland Ballet’s production of Excalibur, directed by Francois Klaus.

At the age of 18 she continued her dance development at the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD), majoring in Contemporary. After completing her diploma at the NZSD, Janessa then joined New Zealand’s acclaimed Black Grace Dance Company. She performed in numerous works created by Artistic Director/Choreographer Neil Ieremia which included Amata, Human Language, and War Brides. During her 2 years with Black Grace she toured internationally to the U.S.A, Canada, Noumea, Australia and throughout New Zealand.

2009 marked Janessa’s Sydney Dance Company debut appearing in the World Premiere Season of Rafael Bonachela’s we unfold at the Sydney Theatre. Since that time, Janessa has danced in Aszure Barton’s work Sid’s Waltzing Masquerade and in Rafael Bonachela’s 360° in Brisbane, Melbourne and at the Christchurch International Festival. Recently, Janessa appeared in New Breed, a program of short dance works commissioned to premiere at the Spring Dance Festival at the Sydney Opera House. Janessa danced in Emily Amisano’s Bending the Map, Connor Dowling’s I Dreamt I was a Real Boy and Craig Bary’s Pictures of a One Night Stand. Most recently, Janessa has worked with guest choreographer Kenneth Kvarnstrom for the creation of his work Mercury.