TF Dance Co
Name: Taira Foo
Company: TF Dance Co
Dance Level: Established
Bio
Taira Foo is a Movement Director and Choreographer working across theatre, musical theatre, film, and live performance, specialising in narrative-led, emotionally grounded storytelling through movement. Her practice places the body at the centre of story, using physical language to support character, psychology, musical structure, and emotional truth.
She is the founder and Artistic Director of TF Dance Co, a story-based company bringing contemporary physical language and ballet-informed structure into the 21st century. Taira’s work is known for its visceral intensity, clarity of intention, and raw expression of the human experience, earning critical acclaim for being described as “gripping,” “intensely moving,” and “imaginative and brilliant to watch.”
Alongside her stage work, Taira has an expanding screen-dance and film practice. Her latest work, S I C K, has received significant international recognition, including Official Selection at the Independent Shorts Awards (Los Angeles) and IndieX Film Fest (Los Angeles), where it also received award nominations and an Honourable Mention for Screen Dance Short. The work marks a key development in her movement-led storytelling across film, further establishing her as a Movement Director working at the intersection of dance, cinema, and narrative performance.
Company credits include Snow Patrol’s Don’t Give In, Prisoner 466 (Arts Council–funded and presented at the House of Lords), and the short film Carly’s Exit, which premiered at the San Francisco Dance Film Festival and New York’s Dance for Camera Festival.
Taira has choreographed extensively for theatre, musical theatre, film, television, music videos, and large-scale live events. Her performance career spans over two decades and includes work in the original cast of We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Chicago, Grease, Fame, The Snowman, the Royal Variety Show, the Queen’s Jubilee, Party in the Park, and most recently the feature film Fast X (Fast & Furious 10).
Working collaboratively with directors, performers, and creative teams, Taira brings a movement-direction approach that supports both artistic vision and performer wellbeing.
Dance Style: Classical Ballet, Commercial, Contact Improvisation, Contemporary, Dance for Film, Digital Dance, Fight Direction, Film, Hip Hop, Improvisation, Interactive Digital Dance, Interpretive Dance, Jazz, Large cast movement and staging specialist, Lyrical, Mark theatre, Movement Direction, Musical theatre, Site Specific, Staging, Street
Work Context: advertising,animation,ballet company,cabaret,carnival,circus,clubs,commercials,community,composer,corporate events,corporate sector,cruise ships,dance theatre,devised theatre,digital internet,documentary,film,live art and performance art,live music,motion capture,music video,musical theatre,opera,outdoor events,own company,pantomime,participator performance,physical theatre,pop promos,puppet shows,pure dance,sports events,stadium arena ceremonies,street theatre,television,trade shows,training,variety shows,video,visual theatre,works with masks
Personal Contact
Telephone: 07969780063
Email: foo@tairafoo.com
Website: https://www.tairafoo.com
Credits
2025
S I C K – Short Film
Written, Directed & Movement Directed by – Taira Foo
A movement-led narrative short film exploring male mental health through embodied storytelling and physical expression. The film uses choreography and movement direction as its primary narrative language, translating emotional and psychological states into cinematic physicality.
Led the movement direction and choreographic development, working closely with performers to shape character, emotional journey, and narrative clarity through the body. Collaborated with the creative team across rehearsal and filming to translate stage-based movement practice into a cinematic language.
Rehearsed and filmed in August 2024.
Official Selection – Independent Shorts Awards (Los Angeles, January 2026)
Official Selection & Award Nominee – IndieX Film Fest (Los Angeles, January 2026)
Honourable Mention – Best Screen Dance Short, IndieX Film Fest
2025
Children of Eden – Musical - GSA
Movement Director & Choreographer
Served as Movement Director and Choreographer for Children of Eden by Stephen Schwartz and John Caird, presented by the MA/MFA Musical Theatre students at Guildford School of Acting.
Worked in close collaboration with the director to shape the overall physical world of the production, blending expressive choreography with stylised ensemble movement. Developed a cohesive physical language reflecting the musical’s mythic themes of creation, legacy, free will, and generational relationships.
Designed and directed large ensemble sequences including “Let There Be,” “Generations,” and “The Flood,” integrating spatial dynamics, symbolic gesture, and vocal storytelling.
2024
Sweeney Todd– Immersive Production
Movement Director & Choreographer
Served as Movement Director and Choreographer for Vivo D’Arte’s fully immersive, promenade staging of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, performed throughout the historic grounds of Champneys Spa, Tring.
Worked closely with the director and musical director to design movement that guided audience flow, intensified narrative tension, and supported the emotional arc of the story. Adapted and reinterpreted physical storytelling for a promenade format, creating moments of intimacy, threat, and theatrical spectacle.
Blended contemporary physicality with traditional musical theatre to deliver a visceral, site-responsive audience experience.
Feb 2024
‘Les Misérables’ – Youth Project
2024
Amélie – Musical - GSA
Movement Director
Served as Movement Director on Amélie, staged at the Bellairs Theatre in Guildford School of Acting’s Ivy Arts Centre.
Collaborated closely with the director and musical director to shape a movement language balancing narrative flow, character-driven expression, and musical sensitivity. Supported performers in developing physical storytelling that enhanced emotional detail and ensemble cohesion.
2023 - 2024
London Portraits – Opera-Ballet (World Premiere)
Choreographer
Commissioned to choreograph London Portraits, a new opera-ballet composed by Leo Geyer and presented at Sadler’s Wells by Constella Music.
The work fused jazz and classical composition with contemporary dance, blending ballet and street movement vocabulary to mirror the music’s rhythmic, urban narrative. Performed by soprano Sofia Kirwan-Baez and pianist Hamish Brown, the piece combined operatic voice, live piano, and physical storytelling to create a vivid portrait of London through sound and movement.
2023
‘Little Ships’ – A New Musical
Choreographer & Movement Director
Served as Choreographer and Movement Director for the world premiere of Little Ships, a new musical by Danny McAvoy, presented at Exeter Northcott Theatre.
Worked closely with the composer-librettist and director to integrate movement that drove narrative, emotional storytelling, and period atmosphere. Directed movement for a company of 14 professional actors and students, creating ensemble-driven physical storytelling.
Contributed to the holistic design of the production, bridging choreography, music, staging, and immersive storytelling. Performed at Barnfield Theatre, June 2023, and currently being filmed for future distribution.
2023
West Side Story – Semi-Immersive Production
Choreographer
Commissioned as Choreographer for a semi-immersive outdoor production of West Side Story, performed in the grounds of Champneys Tring Estate as part of Vivo D’Arte’s summer season.
Worked closely with the creative team to reimagine Jerome Robbins’ iconic movement language for an open-air, site-responsive environment. Adapted the choreography to support contemporary physicality while preserving the dramatic weight and cultural legacy of the original work.
2022
'Growing Old" - A new dance work
Written, Choreographed & Directed by - Taira Foo
A wellcome trust funded research project in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University, about maturing. Some of the project themes and issues include healthcare, mental health, societal attitudes to ageing/older people and generational relationships.
Working with 5 professional dancers.
Live performance at 'The Unity Theatre' in Liverpool
Film screening at FACT cinema - Liverpool
Composer - Tom Haines
2022
Fast & Furious 10 (Fast X) - Dancer
Released May 2023
Performing in a party scene in Brazil (Rio)
Warner Bros
Director - Louis Leterrier
2021
Taira Foo Dance Co
Phase 3 - S I C K - Follows one man's struggle through depression, told through contemporary and street dance influences- funded by Arts Council England.
3rd Phase- Having props made & built. Adding and creating 3 extra scenes. Composing new music with award winning Oliver Lodge.
R&D
Choreographer/artistic director - Taira Foo
2021
Troika Company
Circus & Dance project
Choreographer/Collaborator on R&D that merges circus and dance.
Working with circus and dance artists to blend the two disciplines into a powerful narrative.
Director Rishi Trikar
Choreographer: Taira Foo
2021
The Company
Artistic Director - Tour 2021
'The 8th' Aiming to shift the ideals of womanhood in the 21st century.
The performance consists of three diverse dance pieces, exploring vulnerability, sisterhood and togetherness. The aim of the production is to challenge outdated perceptions of womanhood and encourage the audience to engage in conversations that promote change.
2021
Short Film- 'Searching for Dottore'
Director: Rahel T Yohannes
Choreographer - Taira Foo
Location - Rome
2021
Choreographer & Artistic director with Taira Foo Dance Co S I C K Phase 2
Supported by The Arts Council England.
Documentary & Filmed performance.
Film maker - Liam Hall
2020
S I C K Phase 1- Performed at The Place London. Supported by Slough Borough Council.
Choreographer & Artistic director with Taira Foo Dance Co
'SICK’ was performed at The Place February 2020. Having recently received funding from the Arts council England to develop the piece, the project is ongoing. The work is narrative driven and follows one man’s struggle against depression.Told through contemporary & street dance influences with a slick use of props the new work addresses the torment of mental ill health.
2019
Co-Choreographer with Joshua Pilmore
Move it -Paradise Island Excel London.
Featuring: Tasha Ghouri (Love Island) with - The Creative Academy.
2018
Snow Patrol - Music Video - 'Don't Give in' - 2018
Featuring Taira Foo Dance Company & Taira Foo
2018
Choreographer & Artistic director with Taira Foo Dance Co
"Flowers in December" performed at The Place. The piece is based on the refugee crisis in Syria.
Performed at The Place London.
Funded by Slough Borough Council
2018
Choreographer
(Director Diane Cooke)
Pantomime - Peter Pan at The Harlequin theatre Redhill.
2023–2024
Little Ships – New Musical (World Premiere)
Choreographer & Movement Director
Served as Choreographer and Movement Director for the world premiere of Little Ships, a new musical by Danny McAvoy, presented at Exeter Northcott Theatre.
Worked closely with the composer-librettist and director to integrate movement that drove narrative, emotional storytelling, and period atmosphere. Directed movement for a company of 14 professional actors and students, creating ensemble-driven physical storytelling.
Contributed to the holistic design of the production, bridging choreography, music, staging, and immersive storytelling. Performed at Barnfield Theatre, June 2023, and currently being filmed for future distribution.
2017
Choreographer
(Director Colin Blumeneau)
"Cinderella" Pantomime - Riverfront Theatre- Newport
2017
Music Video - "In the Light of The Stars" - Will Cookson
Choreographer - Taira Foo
Director - Harry Amies
2016
Choreographer & Dancer
Shanghai Spring Festival – Commercial Piece for Greenland investment London
2016
Choreographer & Director
Performance Project - Creative Academy - Performed at The Curve in Slough.
2015
Choreographer
(Director Colin Blumeneau)
Jack & The Beanstalk (Pantomime) - Riverfront Theatre- Newport – Hiss & Boo Company 2014/2015
2014
Choreographer 2013/14
(Director Colin Blumeneau)
Dick Whittington – (Pantomime) - Riverfront Theatre- Newport Hiss & Boo Company
2014
Choreographer & Artistic director with Taira Foo Dance Co - ‘Prisoner 466’
Over the summer 2014 Taira Foo Dance Co with support from Arts Council England brought together professional dancers, musicians and theatre practitioners together with new talent from the OC London community in Kings Cross, to create Prisoner 466 a new contemporary dance work about Mandela's 27 year imprisonment and the international anti-apartheid campaign his imprisonment inspired.
2013
Choreographer
'Rebel Without a Cause' - University of Cumbria 2013 -
A piece of dance theatre inspired by the film 'Rebel without a cause'.
Created on 2nd year degree students at The University of Cumbria.
2013
Choreographer
(Director Mark Buchanan)
Music Video - The Flutes- 'What is Love’
2013
Choreographer & Artistic director with Taira Foo Dance Co
‘Rain Man’- The Place London.
2012
Choreographer
(Director Colin Blumeneau)
Jack & The Beanstalk - Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
2012
Choreographer
(Director Colin Blumeneau)
Jack & The Beanstalk - Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
2012
Choreographer Short Film – ‘Undo’
(Director Harry Amies) - (San Francisco Dance Film Festival, New York dance for camera festival)
2012
Choreographer
West end medley - The Sandhurst Festival
Company- Indigo Blue
Director - Graham Wadsworth
2012
‘Chess’ – The Elgiva Theatre - Chesham
May 2012
Working with HE Musical Theatre students @ Amersham & Wycombe College.
Director - Tuireen Hurstfield
Choreographer - Taira Foo
2011
Choreographer & Artistic director with Taira Foo Dance Co
‘The Soloist’ - Based on the film
Theatre - The Place London
2011
Ident
Bikini Ballet Ident Promotional video: https://youtu.be/O1zDdZmzPJM
Choreographer - Taira Foo
2011
‘Cabaret’- The Elgiva Theatre - Chesham
Working with HE Musical Theatre students @ Amersham & Wycombe College.
Choreographer - Taira Foo
2009
Jack & The Beanstalk
Theatre- Aylesbury Civic
Producers- Paul Holman Associates
Choreographer- Taira Foo
2008
Jack & The Beanstalk
Theatre - Newark Palace
Producers- Paul Holman Associates.
Director- Mark Piper
Choreographer - Taira Foo
2006
Resident choreographer
Footlights Youth Theatre London
2006-2009
Musical director - Paul Monaghan