Tess Gadwood

Tess received a dance scholarship to the University of Missouri-Kansas City with the honors of receiving the UMKC Conservatory Chancellor’s Scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Dance. She has also received scholarships to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, American Dance Center, Gus Giordano, School of American Ballet and acceptance to the Mid-America Dance Company. Tess has performed and competed nationally earning awards for her dancing and choreography. She has choreographed and taught for the George Caleb Bingham Academy of the Arts and has also performed in productions of Guys and Dolls and Wizard of Oz. Tess has also enjoyed dancing some of her favorite ballets such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Carmina Burana. She has studied with Tatiana Dukoudovska, Mary Pat Henry, Paula Weber, Gus Giordano and the late Leni Wylliams. Tess has been teaching for the Kansas City Ballet since 2005 as well as the Kansas City Ballet’s “Reach Out and Dance” program which brings dance education to public schools in the Kansas City Area. Tess is excited to share her experience and her passion for dance to others and feels very blessed to be teaching dance to all ages at Kansas City Ballet.