Samuel Pott, Founder & Artistic Director of Nimbus Dance: The Impact of Nimbus Dance on the Community and The Re-Imagining of Firebird

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guest Samuel Pott, founder and artistic director of Nimbus Dance.

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey interviews Samuel Pott, the artistic director of Nimbus Dance. They explore his journey into dance, the founding of Nimbus Dance, and the upcoming world premiere of the re-imagined Firebird. They touch on the collaboration with the New Jersey Symphony, the thematic elements of Firebird, and the personal connections that inform the work.

Together they discuss the benefits of dance, the importance of community engagement, and the creative process behind reimagining classic works. Samuel shares insights from his experiences with the Martha Graham Dance Company and emphasizes the significance of authenticity in storytelling through dance.

Samuel Pott (Founding Artistic Director) founded Nimbus in 2005 . Mr. Pott’s work as a performer, choreographer, educator, and arts leader, is dedicated to the authentic, humanistic, and equitable engagement that emerges in individuals and in communities through deep exploration and learning in the dance and the arts.

Under his direction, the organization has toured nationally, built the Nimbus Arts Center at The Lively in Downtown Jersey City, developed the School of Nimbus which serves over 400 students onsite and many thousands in offsite community programs annually, and become the largest contemporary dance organization in the State of New Jersey.

Mr. Pott’s choreography has embodied the organization’s endless fascination with exploration and engagement with important themes of the day, and collaboration with artists from many genres, among them: composers Daniel Bernard Roumain, Samson Young, Judd Greenstein, Aaron Parks, and Qasim Naqvi; visual artists Nicola Lopez, Bryant Small, Laia Cabrera/Isabelle Duverger, Theda Sandiford; and writers Alysia Souder and Rashad Wright. Pott maintains a multi-year artistic partnership with the New Jersey Symphony. Mr. Pott’s 20+ original works for Nimbus are complemented by his commitment to support the work of diverse established and emerging choreographers through commissions, including: Dawn Marie Bazemore, Sofia Nappi, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Yoshito Sakuraba, Pedro Ruiz, Vernard Gilmore and Korhan Basaran. 

As a performer, Mr. Pott danced as a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company, performing in iconic roles–the Husbandman in Appalachian Spring, Agamemnon in Clytemnestra, and Adam in Embattled Garden–and new choreographic works created by a range of leading contemporary choreographers including Larry Kegwin, Ann Bogart, Robert Wilson, and Lar Lubovitch. Prior to joining the Graham company, Mr. Pott performed as a lead dancer with American Repertory Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and Savage Jazz Dance Company, in a wide range of new and classical repertory. A recipient of Choreography Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 2008, 2017, and 2023, and named a Distinguished Teaching Artist by the Council in 2012, Pott was one of 25 arts leaders nationally selected for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ (APAP) inaugural Leadership Fellows Program, serves on the Dance Advisory Council for New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for ArtPride NJ, and is a co-founder of the Jersey City Arts Council.

To get tickets to see Nimbus Dance, March 7th, 8th & 9th and to catch this world premiere click below

https://www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/the-firebird-with-xian-zhang

To learn more about the company and their programs