(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Following a sold-out weekend of performances in early March, Nimbus Dance returns to the Nimbus Arts Center stage with ANIMA, featuring a world premiere by celebrated international choreographer Yoshito Sakuraba, and two iconic works by Artistic Director Samuel Pott. The performances, April 29 & 30 at 8:00pm, May 1 at 3:00pm, include the highly anticipated world premiere of “Avenoir” by Yoshito Sakuraba. Started before pandemic lockdowns in 2020, recently completed, and now premiering at Nimbus “Avenoir” displays Sakuraba’s trademark mix of virtuosic flexibility and gravity-defying lifts.

Also featured on the program is Nimbus Artistic Director Samuel Pott’s celebrated 2-part cycle of dances “Patch of Turf” & “Falling Sky”, which explore the changing environment. Created in collaboration with composer Qasim Naqvi (known for his work with the band, Dawn of Midi) and video projection artists Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger, the two works highlight Pott’s prowess for building a cinematic atmosphere with intensely vivid characters and entrancing storyline.

Nimbus Dance is known nationally for its unique brand of concert dance offering audiences physical, emotional, and visually astounding performances that reveal poignant insight into our contemporary lives. 

“We’ve been exploring how we can create a deeply immersive experience for performers and audiences where we all have something at stake in the outcome of these dances,” mused Artistic Director Samuel Pott, taking a break from rehearsal last Monday. “The program feels at times animalistic, other times, intensely human. The dancers reach majestic heights in what they are able to express.”

Tickets range from $27 - $35 and are available for purchase online; Add on VIP Afterparty: $25. Call 201-377-0718 for group discounts (10 or more people.) Nimbus Arts Center is located at 329 Warren Street in Jersey City, New Jersey. Audiences are invited to attend the VIP After Party on April 29th to meet the Nimbus Dancers over drinks, desserts, and dancing. Following the performance on May 1, join Nimbus for a Stage Door Series event delving into the intersection of dance, the environment, and public space through a conversation with dance luminaries Dr. Julia Ritter and Dr. Jeff Friedman of Rutgers University, along with Samuel Pott and artistic collaborators Isabelle Duverger and Laia Cabrera.

Nimbus Dance, founded by Artistic Director Samuel Pott in 2005, bridges the gap between world-class performances and community engagement by presenting work that speaks to, challenges, and elevates the core beliefs of its diverse audience. In September 2020, Nimbus Dance and the School of Nimbus Dance moved into 14,900 square ft. Arts Center in Jersey City. Nimbus performs on tour nationally and throughout the greater New Jersey/New York region, impacting 16,000 people annually. Community engagement initiatives serve over 7,000 children annually through in-school, movement-based programs.

Nimbus’ Stage Door Series is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this panel discussion do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or NJCH.

Photos by Megan Maloy