Melissa Almaguer
Improvised Tap Percussionist
Redefining tap dance as a primary instrument for spiritual jazz, blending multidisciplinary soundscapes with avant-garde improvisation and ritualistic performance.
avant-garde jazzimprovised music
About
Born in Mexico and based in Brooklyn, Melissa Almaguer is a tap artist and educator who treats movement as an improvisational jazz instrument. She leads the collective praesēns and has collaborated with avant-garde luminaries like William Parker and Moor Mother.
Music Style
Almaguer's sound utilizes tap as a percussive foundation, fusing rhythmic intensity with sound healing and experimental textures. Her approach bridges the boundary between music and ritualistic movement.
Background
- Hometown
- Mexico
- Active
- 2020s-present
Similar Artists
If you like Michela Marino Lerman, Susie Ibarra — you'll love this artist
Michela Marino Lerman
Both are leading tap dance improvisers within the contemporary New York jazz scene.
95%
Susie Ibarra
Almaguer's creative mentor; both share an interest in spiritual, multidisciplinary, and nature-inspired improvisation.
90%
Moor Mother
Frequent collaborator in avant-garde and experimental jazz-adjacent settings.
85%
Notable Collaborations
Moor MotherIrreversible EntanglementsWilliam ParkerLuke StewartElio VillafrancaDavid VirellesSusie IbarraJazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
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