Melissa Talley-Palmer

Melissa Talley-Palmer is a Philadelphia-based dance artist, cultural consultant, and trauma-certified teaching artist whose passion for social dance traces back to her roots in 1960s Virginia, where she watched her parents win local dance contests. A self-taught dancer and lifelong advocate for community engagement through movement, she has turned her personal legacy into a vibrant, public mission: using dance to preserve culture, foster connection, and uplift communities.