Nimbus Dance Works Announces 2012 JERSEY CITY NUTCRACKER, 12/19-23

Nimbus Dance Works announces the third year of its annual holiday tradition: Jersey City Nutcracker. Jersey City Nutcracker tells the story of two children's urban holiday adventure leading them through fantasy, adversity and celebration and teaching them lessons about friendship and community along the way. Choreographed and directed by Nimbus Artistic Director Samuel Pott, this adaption of Tchaikovsky's holiday classic is performed by a stand-out cast of professional dancers from Nimbus Dance Works joined by youth and adults from the community as they portray familiar characters such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Rat King, the Arabian Princess and Drosselmeyer – all with a Jersey City twist! Amidst colorful sets, costumes, a brightly adorned tree, youth and adults alike are touched by this tale of Christmas spirit.

2012 Jersey City Nutcracker performances will take place at the state-of-the-art auditorium at Frank R. Conwell Middle School #4 and will involve youth performers from drawn from schools and dance studios throughout Jersey City including: the School of Nimbus Dance Works, Jersey City Dance Academy, Next Step Broadway, Henry Snyder High School, Middle School #4, St. Dominic Academy, and many others. The 2012 production marks a significant collaboration with the Jersey City Public Schools: over 1,200 primary school students will attend the performances during special schooltime matinee performances; Jersey City public school students will perform important roles in the production and will gain real-world experience assisting with backstage, front-of-house and set construction work.

Also debuting in 2012 are new sets designed by local artist Irene Borngraeber, a new "Russian" section and revamped "Spanish" section with costumes by Jennifer Bentley. For last minute holiday shoppers: Not Yo Mama's will present a pop-up gift boutique in the lobby of the performance with unique, handmade items for sale. Plus: surprise guest-performers make unforgettable cameo appearances... Stay tuned!

Nimbus Dance Works, Jersey City's premier dance company, focuses its work on the intersection between high-level dance and innovative ways of involving communities and audiences. Nimbus presents dance performances and programs to diverse audiences locally and on tour: serving present dance audiences and building future ones. Performers with Nimbus Dance Works are top-tier dance artists drawn from widely recognized companies including American Repertory Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and the Martha Graham Dance Company. In addition to presenting work by Nimbus Artistic Director Samuel Pott, the company commission dances by leading dancemakers with a special focus on international choreographers including Pedro Ruiz (Cuba/USA), Huang Yi (Taiwan), (Turkey), Xiao-Xiong Zhang (Australia/Taiwan), Randy James (USA). Through critically acclaimed performances throughout New Jersey and the Northeast, programs for Jersey City youth and seniors, partnerships with institutions such as the Jersey City Board of Education, Rutgers University, and the Newark Museum, and collaborations with notable composers and visual artists, Nimbus weaves together artistic excellence and community impact.

Now in its ninth season, Nimbus Dance Works programs impact more than 6,000 people each year. The company's JC Grooves dance program serves over 2,000 youth each year in the Jersey City public schools. A 501c3 not-for-profit, the company receives funding from multiple foundations including The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Provident Bank Foundation, as well as from The City of Jersey City, Hudson County and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and has been honored by an official proclamation of support by the Mayor and the City Council of Jersey City. Nimbus Dance Works presents biannual home seasons in Jersey City and recently opened the School of Nimbus Dance Works offering dance classes to diverse youth and adults from Jersey City and the surrounding region. Featured projects for Nimbus Dance Works' 2012-13 season include a staging of Charles Weidman's 1936 modern dance classic Lynchtown along with the creation of a new partner work by Artistic Director Samuel Pott, Noose with new music by composer Peter James Saleh; and a collaboration with Taiwanese choreographer Huang Yi to be performed by an international cast of American and Taiwanese dancers and sponsored by the Taipei Cultural Center (TPECC). These new works will be performed on tour throughout New Jersey, Vermont, New York City and during the company's Jersey City Spring Season, May 31-June 1, 2013.

Samuel Pott founded Nimbus Dance Works in 2005 drawing on a deeply held personal belief in the value that the arts can play in bringing people and communities together. Under his direction the company has grown each year adding performances, new repertory, and new community initiatives and projects. Known for creating structured and musical dances that evoke deep-rooted emotional connection, Mr. Pott's choreography has been shown in New York City and throughout New Jersey, New England and California at venues including The Joyce Theater, NJPAC and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. He has choreographed dance to chamber music, choral music, jazz, new music, folk and mainstream vocal ballads; collaborations have included productions with theater groups, visual and video artists, composers and music improvisers. Collaborations have included work with many esteemed contemporary artists including composers Daniel Bernard Roumain, Samson Young, Judd Greenstein, Aaron Parks and visual artists Nicola Lopez and TRudy Miller.

A member of the New Jersey State Arts Council's Arts in Education roster of artists, he has taught dance at the elementary, high school, college and professional levels and has served on the faculty of Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts. In 2008 Mr. Pott founded JC Grooves, a program that brings dance to over 2000 Jersey City middle school youth each year through unique and participatory methods. He is a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method. Mr. Pott received a Choreography Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 2008 and was named a Distinguished Teaching Artist by the council in 2012. He serves on the board of directors of Dance New Jersey and on the Arts Advisory Council for the for the Jersey City Board of Education.

Mr. Pott began his dance training at the University of California, Berkeley, and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999. As a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company, his repertoire included such iconic roles as the Husbandman in Appalachian Spring, Agamemnon in Clyemnestra, and Adam in Embattled Garden. In addition to work with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Mr. Pott has performed as a lead dancer with many ballet and contemporary companies including New Jersey's American Repertory Ballet and the Oakland Ballet. Featured roles are from a wide range dance styles and choreographers including works by Marius Petipa, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Isadora Duncan, Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, and directors Robert Wilson and Ann Bogart among many others.

Nimbus Dance Works' 2012 Jersey City Nutcracker will play the Frank R. Conwell MS #4 Auditorium, 107 Bright Street on Wednesday, December 19th, with matinee performances for Jersey City Public Schools. Opening night is set for Friday, December 21st: 7pm, and the run continues on Saturday, December 22nd: 1pm & 5pm and Sunday, December 23rd: 1pm & 5pm. Tickets: $10: students (14yrs & under) & seniors; $18: General; $25: Orchestra To purchase tickets: www.nimbusdanceworks.org. For more information, visit (201) 377-0718 or email info@nimbusdanceworks.org. Appropriate for all ages; barrier-free event.