A New Home for Nimbus

By Megan Maloy

A space for cultural exchange

By Marilyn Baer

Nimbus Dance started as a small group of dancers in cramped church basements in 2005. Now one of the city’s largest art nonprofit organizations, it has officially moved into a brand-new state-of-theart facility in Jersey City’s Power-house Arts District. The new facility houses Nimbus’s professional dance company, school of dance, performing arts presentations, visual arts programs, and office headquarters. The new 15,000-squarefoot Nimbus Arts Center at the Lively is a dream come true for founder and Artistic

Director Samuel Potts. “It has been an odyssey,” he said. “From being scrappy and making the best out of the options we had available to this; it is truly a transformational moment for Nimbus and the arts in Jersey City.”

Basement to Big Time

Potts founded Nimbus as a small group of dancers, producing low-budget performances in libraries and church basements. During its journey, the multifaceted nonprofit has become one of the largest contemporary dance organizations in New Jersey, offering an award-winning

school of dance with arts education programs for thousands of kids each year. The new facility at 329 Warren Street wears its heart on its façade, where artist Nate Frizzell has created a three-story mural of two dancers draped in red fabric surrounded by butterflies. Inside, rotating exhibits feature local artists and photographers like Megan Maloy and Joe Velez. An exhibit at Firmament Gallery and Boutique is bathed in natural light through 30-foot floor-toceiling windows.

Catalyst for Change

Buy some craft items from local makers on the boutique side of things or see a show in the new 150-seat blackbox theater. World class dancers have graced the stage with virtual performances like “To Ascend: The Power of the Female Dancer” choreographed by Potts and performed by Principal Ballerina Sarah Lane of the American Ballet Theater alongside women from Nimbus Dance. Through its interwoven platforms of professional company, school, arts, and community outreach, Nimbus envisions dance and the arts as channels for equity, community development, and transformative cultural exchange. “With the Nimbus Arts Center we will be able to put the spotlight, not just on Nimbus’s own work but Jersey City artists by providing a space for artists to work and create in collaboration with our community. “It’s going to impact our youth, it’s going to impact our sense of unity, and it’s going to give a voice to people who haven’t had the opportunity to showcase their perspective and their artistic work.” Now you can add live performances to your post- COVID dreams.—JCM

By Megan Maloy

By Megan Maloy

By Joe Velez

By Megan Maloy