Valgerður ( Vala) has worked as a dancer, choreographer, artistic director, producer and project manager since 1998, when she graduated with a BA in Contemporary Dance from KHIO/The Oslo National Academy of the Arts. She holds an MA in Performing Arts from the Iceland University of the Arts (2022) and a Master’s degree in Project Management (MPM) from Reykjavik University (2023).

She has extensive international experience, including many years as a dancer with the Iceland Dance Company and a decade with EASTMAN / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in Belgium, performing at major venues and festivals worldwide. During her time with EASTMAN she also worked on productions co-created with Damien Jalet. In addition, she has collaborated with Erna Ómarsdóttir on several independent projects, including with her company Shalala, touring widely across Europe.

As a choreographer and producer, Valgerður has created numerous original works, including The Dance Gene, The Seasons, Derringur, Dear Human Being and Óraunveruleikir. Her work spans a wide range of settings and scales, from large theatre stages and established venues to smaller spaces, galleries, streets and abandoned buildings. She has a particular interest in creating work outside conventional performance spaces, and her projects have taken her into communities across Iceland as well as into collaborations with institutions such as the Iceland Dance Company and Reykjavík Dance Festival.

Her choreographic work also extends to theatre and film. She is a two-time recipient of the Icelandic Performing Arts Award and has received multiple nominations.

Alongside her creative work, Valgerður has taught and led workshops at the Iceland University of the Arts, Kramhúsið, the Icelandic Ballet School, and internationally in connection with touring productions. A recurring focus in her artistic practice has been to make dance accessible to a wider range of people, working across generations and with both professional and non-professional performers. Her community-based projects have taken her across Iceland, working with children, young people, amateurs and senior citizens.

Valgerður has also been actively involved in shaping the Icelandic performing arts field beyond her own artistic work. She was part of the team leading Reykjavík Dance Festival for several years, serving on its board and contributing to the development and production of the festival. She has held board positions at Tjarnarbíó, Dansverkstæðið, the Icelandic Association of Professional Dancers and the Icelandic Actors’ Union.

Alongside her artistic practice, she has worked extensively in artistic management, production and project management, including for the Iceland Dance Company, the Performing Arts Center Iceland, Dansverkstæðið and Reykjavík Arts Festival. She currently works as an Events Project Manager at the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.