projects
"Tap dance is a tool for healing and liberation. Through this form I create communal spaces of sound exploration that serve as rituals meant to heal and restore balance with Mother Nature/oneself. Improvisation, sound and movement are my ways to explore concepts related to philosophy, alchemy, religion, and history. My goal as a creator is to inspire a higher awareness of the power we all have to heal and create our own realities. Each creation gives me a deeper insight about myself and guides me towards the next project".
-Melissa Almaguer
Angel of Air/ Angel of Water
Inspired by the album Illuminations by Turiya Alice Coltrane and Devadip Carlos Santana, Angel of Air Angel of Water is an improvised performance that intends to explore the concepts of life-death, water-air, parallelism, and oneness by way of sound.
Collective: Melissa Almaguer (tap dance), Christina Carminucci (tap dance), Lesley Mok (drums), Franklin Rankin (guitar), Samantha Feliciano (harp and vocals), Natalie Greffel (bass and vocals), Shinya Lin (electronics)
Honorable Harvest
Tap dance a capella piece choreographed by Melissa that explores themes of reciprocity, ceremony and reconnection to Mother Nature. The show is based on the honorable harvest, an indigenous practice tradition of giving thanks.
Jessee Leigh Robinson, Toru Sakuragi, Isabella Serricella