Nimbus Director Samuel Pott Marks 50th Birthday with ANIMA Dance Extravaganza

On February 7, 2026, Nimbus held its three-part contemporary dance performance ANIMA, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Samuel Pott. That day was also Pott’s 50th birthday, a celebration that involved seeing his 12-year-long project come to life. ANIMA started in 2014 as Pott asked himself the question, “What is the connection between humans and the environment around us?” He was able to answer this question through expressing themes of biology, struggle, primal motivations, fight-or-flight response, and evolution through the dance. “It’s about humans and our place in the natural world,” Pott explained. “We can’t separate from the natural world, it is where we evolve out of. We are connected to the Earth, this is our home, this is our source of nourishment.”

The dance has three parts: Patch of Turf, Falling Sky, and Dark Water. Each part is designated with a different human–Earth experience: Patch of Turf dealt with consumerism and the artificial hierarchy we place over man-made objects; Falling Sky dealt with how we experience the world outside of our consciousness and what connects all earthbound beings to one another; and finally, Dark Water connected the audience with the vast dark sea, the ancestral ties to the ocean, and the boundaries placed in the great beyond.

The performance was carried out by a team of nine talented dancers who fully took in the difficult role of portraying the dichotomy between natural elements and human innovation. The dance was also done in partnership with musician Qasim Naqvi and Jersey City-based video designers Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Durverger. Their input made the performance come to life, a total work of art that appeals to all senses. “One of the things that stands out about this performance is that it’s a very immersive program,” Pott explained. “It takes you away to a very ethereal space. They leave audiences hushed. It’s a deeply meditative experience.”

This year marks the 21st year of Nimbus Dance. Started in 2005 with a couple of his ballet friends who would perform at Grace Van Vorst Church in Jersey City, Pott’s dream was to be able to spread the joy of dance to all of Jersey City and beyond. Now they are the largest contemporary dance company in New Jersey, continuing their mission of engaging the community with important subject matter through dance. “We hope to tell stories, thinking about how art can make an impact,” Pott remarked.