Tess is an Edinburgh-based choreographer and performer.

Her creations emerge from an embodied investigation of human experience, exploring the tensions between inner and outer worlds through surreal performance environments that blend multi-disciplinary theatre, dynamic physicality and striking design.

Her inaugural solo How to Survive the Future and mid-scale work Remedy for Memory were presented at Dance Base during the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and 2022 respectively. In 2023, she created Where We Used to Wander for Hidden Door’s immersive performance event.

Recent productions include SPECTRAL, a collaborative large-scale spectacle work and What Ever Happened to Harmony Banks?, a self-choreographed solo which premiered at Dance Base Festival. Both received high acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

Improvisation lies at the heart of her performance practice. Her teaching and creative methodologies have been shaped by her extensive training with internationally renowned artist, David Zambrano.

Her work as a performer includes projects with Two Destination Language, Al Seed Productions, Shotput, Edinburgh International Festival, Abby Warrilow, David Zambrano, Simon Fildes/Cagoule, PanicLab and Mairead McClean/The Wapping Project.

Since 2021, she has played a key curatorial role at the award-winning Hidden Door, helping to develop a prominent platform for dance within the festival.