Artistic Director, Samuel Pott

Samuel Pott founded Nimbus in 2005 drawing on a deeply held personal belief in the value that the arts can play in bringing together people and communities. Under his direction the organization 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, throughout New Jersey, and across the country at venues including the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM Fisher), New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. His collaborations have included work with many esteemed contemporary artists working in new music, including composers Daniel Bernard Roumain, Samson Young, Judd Greenstein, Aaron Parks, and Qasim Naqvi; visual artists Nicola Lopez and Trudy Miller; and video artists Isabelle Duverger and Laia Cabrera.

A highly sought after master teacher, Mr. Pott has taught dance at the elementary, high school, college, and professional levels and has served on the faculty of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He was named to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts’ Arts in Education roster of artists. In 2012, he founded the School of Nimbus, grounded in the belief that dance can serve as a meeting point for diverse communities for growth towards common values and goals. The School makes high-quality dance training available to youth throughout Jersey City regardless of financial background. Mr. Pott founded and directs NimbusPRESENTS, a Jersey City performance series featuring local and national performers. Mr. Pott has received Choreography Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 2008 and 2017 and was named a Distinguished Teaching Artist by the Council in 2012. Mr. Pott was one of 25 arts leaders nationally selected for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ (APAP) inaugural Leadership Fellows Program. He 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.

(He/Him)

Director of School, Harumi Elders

(She/Her/Hers)

Harumi Elders, a Maryland native, received her BFA from the Boston Conservatory with a concentration in performance, pedagogy, and choreography. While studying, she had the privilege to begin her professional dance and teaching career with the City Ballet of Boston. Shortly after graduating she moved to NYC and began dancing with Nimbus Dance Works. She had the honor to dance for Nimbus for three seasons, performing a variety of roles including Sugar Plum Fairy, Strange Fruit (soloist), Patch of Turf (soloist), Shadow of Sound (soloist), Surface Tension, and We Acquiesce (soloist). Post-Nimbus Harumi went on to perform two seasons in the award-winning Christmas show at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. She also joined the pre-production cast of The Wizard of Oz at the Media Theater, danced as a featured artist in various commercials, and danced back up for Sofia Carson on the Disney Channel.

As a teaching artist, Harumi has taught Ballet, Theater Jazz, Improvisation, and Modern technique in dance studios throughout the East Coast, including Nimbus Dance Works, City Ballet of Boston, Studio of Ballet Arts, and Londyn Skye Dance Center. Currently, she is completing her 5th year on the Dance and Musical Theater Staff at High Tech High School. Along with performing and teaching Harumi is a certified Personal Trainer and loves to integrate health and fitness into her teaching style.

Harumi is ecstatic to come full circle and rejoin the Nimbus team as the School Director.

(She/Her)

Alyssa Acciavatti

Acro II, Ballet/Tap I, Acro III, Ballet/Tap I, Jersey City Nutcracker Cookies

(She/Her)

Alyssa Acciavatti is a NJ/ NYC based dancer from Jersey City, NJ. Originally a competitive gymnast, she began training in dance to help with alignment and technique, and fell in love with the art form. She has trained in Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Acro, and Hip-Hop. After graduating from County Prep High School as a dance major, she continued her studies at Peridance Center in New York where she trained under many incredible artists and educators, such as Igal Perry and Nikki Holck. In June, 2022, she graduated from the Certificate Program at Peridance in the Ballet/Contemporary Track. Alyssa has performed on stages in New York and New Jersey such as KnJ Theater, Memorial Auditorium, Centenary Stage, and St. Mark’s Church. She has done collaborations with Danspace Project and Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers. She is also a member of the National Arts Society for Dance Arts. Alyssa is currently teaching at The School of Nimbus, and starting her first year as a dancer of the Nimbus2 Company. 

Sarah Barragán

Ballet V, Pointe V, Nimbusfit Yoga, Ballet IV/V

(SHe/Her)

Sarah Barragán was born in Ohio where she started her dance training with the Dayton Ballet School, and received the Josephine and Hermene Schwarz Award as a member of DBII. She later continued her studies at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. Sarah has performed with the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, Chautauqua Festival Ballet and Colorado Ballet. Sarah holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of California, Irvine and a B.S. in Ballet Performance from Indiana University. She has 20 years of teaching experience with students going on to dance in major companies internationally as well as in broadway productions. Sarah is thrilled to continue teaching at the School of Nimbus because she believes that movement sciences play a significant role in development by empowering learners of all ages, and high-quality interdisciplinary education should be accessible to all learners. Sarah is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum, and received Affiliate Teacher awards from 2010-2020. Sarah has completed 500 hours of yoga training and is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique.

LeighAnn Curd

Nimbus Youth Ensemble & Pre-Professional Program Director, Acro II, NImbus Dance I, Contemporary IV/V, Nimbus Repertory & improvisation

(She/Her/Hers)

LeighAnn Curd, she/her, is from Orange County, New York, began teaching and choreographing at the age of 16, working with young children in ballet, tap, and jazz at The Marya Kennett Dance Center. Ms. Curd went on to the Boston Conservatory to take classes in pedagogy and choreography, further expanding her teaching and creative abilities. Since joining Nimbus Dance in 2017, Ms. Curd has taught classes at every single level, from Mama, Papa and Me to Adult, at the School of Nimbus. She has also had the opportunity to teach and set work in many schools throughout Jersey City through Nimbus’ outreach programs. This is LeighAnn’s 7th year as a Teaching Artist with Nimbus and currently teaches Acro, Contemporary, Nimbus Dance, Nimbus Repertory and Improvisation and is the Director of the Nimbus Youth Ensemble and Pre Professional Program.

Porshia Derival

Hip Hop

(she/her)

Porshia A. Derival (she/her/hers) is a first-generation Caribbean American who was born in New York City. (Brooklyn).  She started her training at H+ | The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory in 2011, where she trained in the foundations of Hip-Hop dance (Party/ Social Dance, Popping, Boogaloo, Locking, Rocking, and Breaking), and studied cultural & social anthropology, critical thinking, biomechanics, and more.  In addition to her extensive training at H+, she has also learned and trained with Hip-Hop leaders and legends Excel Garner, Robin Dunn, Kim Holmes, Lisette Bustamante & Chonique Sneed, Akira Armstrong, Mr. Wiggles, Spex, A-lexx Benard, Tweetie, Elite Force Crew, and more.

Just two years into her training, Porshia was appointed to the esteemed position of Executive Director at H+.  Since being hired, she has attentively overseen the organization's creative affiliations with corporations which include Coca-Cola, Target, Scotch Porter, and many others.  In conjunction with her legendary contributions to H+, she also represents H+ at the UN Economic and Social Council, sits on the selection committee for the New York Dance and Performance Awards/The Bessies and was the honorary host for the 2022 Bessies Reception,  is a member of the Board of Trustees for Ladies of Hip-Hop, and is the NYC ambassador for the #SHE_BUILDS Global Initiative.

Porshia  has shared her expansive knowledge of dance and leadership in numerous publications like, The Dance Enthusiast, and “Own Your Vulnerability” by Elizabeth Barry in 2016.  Her goal as a Haitian-Trinidadian woman is to guarantee Black women throughout the Hip-Hop dance discipline a place where they can be authentically themselves. To act, live, and love unencumbered by restraint, fear, or criticism from others.

Catherine Escueta

Ballet II -Advanced Track, Jazz II

(she/her)

Catherine is a dance artist and teacher from New Jersey. She trained at the Academy of Dance Arts under Nick & Shayne Mishoe before furthering her studies at SUNY Purchase College, graduating summa cum laude with degrees in Dance Performance and Arts Management. She has worked with choreographers such as Rosalind Newman, Lamine Thiam, Peter Leung, Sung Hoon Kim, Autumn Eckman, and Jenelle Figgins. Catherine has taught and choreographed for studios and high schools in central Jersey, as well as numerous Nimbus community outreach programs in Jersey City. She has also explored dance as a form of outreach with JUNTOS Collective and researched it as a tool to rebuild with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). She has completed 600 hours of training and is a certified classical Pilates instructor through RealPilates.

Rosetta Fair

Modern V (Graham)

(she/her)

Rose Fair began training at the Joel Hall Dancers & Center then later joined the Chicago Urban Jazz-based company, the Joel Hall Dancers.  Other dance studies include Luigi Jazz Dance Centre, Academy of Music & Movement, Katherine Dunham Technique Seminar, and Deeply Rooted Community Ensemble program. She recently graduated from the Two-Year Certificate and Teacher Training Programs at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.  Rose has also performed with Duwane Pendarvis & Company Dance Theatre (Horton-based), Tamboula Ethnic Dance Company (Haitian Folklore), Khalidah Kali’s North African Bellydance Experience, and various freelance projects.  She has taught dance in programs and schools across Chicago and NYC. Rose is ecstatic to share her passion for dance with youth and strives to inspire her students to explore their potentials.

Mika Greene

Nimbus Dance I, Ballet/Tap I, Modern III, Jersey City Nutcracker Cookies, NimbusFit Sculpt & Tone, NimbusFit Adult Modern

(she/They)

Mika Greene is originally from Portland, OR. Growing up she trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and acro. She attended Marymount Manhattan College where she received her BFA in Dance with a concentration in Modern. Over the years at School of Nimbus, Mika has taught Ballet I, Modern II-III, Tap I-V, and Acro II/V.

Violet Hartman

Mama, Papa & Me

(She/Her)

Violet Hartman is a graduate of the DeSales University where she earned her B.A. in dance. Upon graduation Violet has taught and performed various styles of dance including ballet, modern, ballroom and contemporary dance, as well as creative movement for children and beginner tap. Violet is a current scholarship student at the Taylor School, where she attends morning classes and studies the Taylor style and repertory. Violet has performed as a guest artist with Alison Cook Beatty Dance and continues to perform freelance with other Artists in the greater NYC area. Violet is thrilled to be returning to the Nimbus Teaching Staff! 

Shayla Hutton

Ballet II, Ballet IIA, Jazz II/III Jersey City Nutcracker Angels, Tap II/III, Musical Theater III, NimbusFit Adult Advanced Beginner Ballet

(She/Her)

Shayla Hutton is a dancer and teacher from British Columbia, Canada. Ms. Hutton became an Assistant Teacher to multiple classes at the young age of 16 at the Canadian School of Ballet. In 2012, Ms. Hutton moved to New York City to further her training at the Joffrey Ballet School. Shortly after, she joined the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group and began to assist Artistic Director, Davis Robertson with multiple classes and choreographic processes throughout North America. In 2017, Ms. Hutton began teaching at the School of Nimbus, La Prima Dance Academy (Long Island, NY), as well as multiple outreach programs that Nimbus Dance offers throughout New Jersey. Over the years at the School of Nimbus, Ms. Hutton has taught Ballet levels I-V, Tap levels II-IV and Mama, Papa & Me. She also has taught creative movement, Zumba and hip hop classes for various outreach programs throughout New Jersey. Ms. Hutton is excited to be back teaching at the School of Nimbus this year.

Darvejon Jones

Jazz IV/V, Jumps, Leaps & Turns

(He/Him)

Darvejon Anthony Jones, MFA (he/him), is from Carson, California, but has lived in many places on the West Coast and Texas. Jones is a father, a bicoastal interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary dance artist, a performer, a CultureBot performing arts contributor, and a dance studies scholar.

Since his early childhood, Jones and his identical twin brother, Ar Vejon Jones, have been performers appearing in films such as  What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993). At a young age, he found himself performing in front of many notable Black Hollywood TV/Film Actors who have gone on to mentor and support his dancing. 

He was trained and has performed works by the legendary tap dancers Paul and Arlene Kennedy (Universal Dance Designs), been closely mentored and performed works by master Horton Technique teacher Ray Tadio, performed works by Master Teacher/Founder/Former Director/and Co-Director of Institute for Dunham Technique Certification, Dr. Albirda "Bird" Rose, and performed works for Emmy award-winning choreographers Ashley Roland and Jamey Hampton (BodyVox), and Brenda Way (ODC), Kimi Okada (ODC), Ar Vejon Jones, Christian von Howard, Oluyinka Akinjiola, Sara Parker, Bobby Fouther, Tere Mathern, Kendra Ross, Heidi Duckler, Maya Ciarrocchi, Jose Limon, and many others. He has also trained extensively at Alonzo King LINES Ballet & ODC/SF. 

Most recently, his works have been shown at La MaMa Experimental Theater as part of the La MaMa Moves! Festival, The Kraine Theater as part of the EstroGenius Festival, The Kaye Playhouse in New York City, and BodyVox dance in Portland, Oregon. He has performed on many stages, at many historical sites, and taught internationally (Chivay, Peru), on the West Coast, and in the Northeast.  He currently teaches Jazz, Improvisation, and graduate courses in dance at the City University of New York, Hunter College, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and teaches Jazz IV/V and “Jumps, Leaps, and Turns” as a teaching artist at Nimbus Dance Works in Jersey City, New Jersey. For more, visit darvejon.com.

Audrey Lipson

Ballet/Tap I, Nutcracker Cookies

Audrey Lipson, from New Jersey, began her training at The Ballet Barre under Suzanne Sarlitt. When she was 13, she began training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of American Ballet Theatre with Franco De Vita, where she performed ABT repertoire and works by Alexei Ratmanksy. A graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, where she studied ballet, Horton, Graham, West African, jazz, and contemporary techniques, Audrey had the opportunity to dance works by Pedro Ruiz, Natalie Lamonte, Brice Mousset, Joanna Kotze, and Phil Orsano. Her performances and projects have included a short dance film by Wilma Casal with Wolf and Swan Company, shows with Doubletake Dance Company from Spring '22 - Summer '23, and a work by Jainil Mehta in Roxey Ballet's 2023 River Dance Festival. She was Brice Mousset's rehearsal assistant for the 2023 Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive, and currently assists his classes at Peridance and the Ailey School. Audrey is thrilled to debut with Nimbus2 as a company member and teaching artist this fall.

Madison Meredith

Tap II, Tap III/IV

Madison Meredith is a dance educator, performing artist, choreographer, and Registered Yoga School (RYS) 200 certified yoga teacher in the greater New Jersey area. Madison received a Master of Education in Dance Education with a K-12 Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) at Rutgers Graduate School of Education. She also received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University with minors in Psychology and Education as a Social Science. Madison's full-time student teaching was completed at Union City High School under the mentorship of Emma Russo and Cristen Pennello. She has trained extensively in tap, modern/contemporary, hip hop, jazz, ballet, and musical theater. Madison has performed works by Tony award winner John Heginbotham, Emmy nominated choreographer Chloe Arnold, and other acclaimed artists such as Opus One Contemporary Dance, Chuck Wilt of UNA Productions, Lynn Neuman of Artichoke Dance Company, Caitlin Casson, John Evans, Reggie Oliver, Robin Passmore, and Marissa Stahl. She has performed at the 92Y Future Dance Festival 2023, White Wave Dance Festival, Mark Morris Dance Center, the Hudson Guild, CHI Movement Arts Center of Kun-Yang Lin Dance in Philadelphia, PA, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, and University of the District of Columbia in the 2017 DC Tap Festival Showcase. Madison’s professional choreographic works have been presented at Triskelion Arts in Brooklyn, NY, the Adrienne Theater in Philadelphia, PA, and the Koresh Artist Showcase in Philadelphia, PA. She has also set choreographic works for MOVE Central Jersey, Gloucester County Institute of Technology dance department, Union City High School dance department, Swedesboro-Woolwich Little Theater. In addition to teaching at the School of Nimbus and for Nimbus's Community Programs, Madison in on staff at Mark Morris Dance Center, Be You Dance Center, Washington Rock Dance, All For Dance, and has teaching partnerships with Gloucester County Institute of Technology, Fresh Theater Arts, and BOLD Arts.

Caleb Mansor

Ballet Ii, Performance Repertory IIB

(He/HIm)

Caleb Mansor grew up in Hatboro PA first training in ballet, modern, and contemporary at Metropolitan Ballet Academy in Jenkintown PA before attending the School of Dance at George Mason University where he got a BFA in dance with a minor in Early Childhood Education. In addition to dance performance, Caleb was able to study pedagogy, explore choreography, and begin teaching young students ballet and modern. He is excited to be joining The School of Nimbus in his first year as a teaching artist for the early levels of ballet as well as teaching creative movement classes at schools in Jersey City through the outreach programs of Nimbus.

Victoria Santaguida

Junior Youth Ensemble Director, Ballet IIIA

(She/Her/Hers)

Victoria Santaguida, from Toronto, Canada, began choreographing at the age of 15. She received her first commissioned work in 2010 for Cawthra Park Secondary School’s Repertoire Company. Since 2010, Ms. Santaguida has assisted choreographers Davis Robertson, Roger C. Jeffrey, Gabrielle Lamb, Mindy Conto, and Dani Matte across Canada and the United States. Victoria currently is choreographing and teaching at The Dance Class in Ontario, Canada as well as teaching at Steps Ahead Dance Studio in Queens. Ms. Santaguida was awarded Teaching Artist of the Year for The School of Nimbus in the Spring of 2018. Ms. Santaguida is currently serving her fifth year as The School of Nimbus’ Junior Youth Ensemble Director, along with teaching numerous ballet and creative movement classes throughout Jersey City.

Melina Soriano

hip hop III, Hip Hop IV/V

(She/Her)

Melina Soriano is a creative artist and healthcare advocate who recently received her BFA from Montclair State University with a minor in psychology. Melina is trained in various genres of dance including contemporary, hip-hop, modern, jazz, ballet, and capoeira. Prior to Montclair, Melina studied under Raegan Wood, director of The Taylor School, while performing with Paul Taylor’s Teen Ensemble. Melina also attended High Tech High School and under the guidance of Trista DeFilippis and found a keen interest in choreography. Her first choreographed film work Cerulean Dream was released in the summer of 2021. Melina has performed works by Ohad Naharin, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Dani Harris-Walters, Paul Taylor, David Parsons, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, and Larry Kegwin. She’s had the pleasure of performing in renown theatres and venues including the Barclays Center, Lincoln Center, Hammerstein Ballroom, Alexander Kasser Theatre, Dixon Place, Performance Garage, and more. Beyond performing, Melina also has over eight years of experience in stage management and two years of experience in creative production. Melina has shared her love for dance since 2017 where she began teaching along Raegen Wood for the Teen K-12 Outreach Teaching Artist Program in New York City. Since then she has taught at Montclair State University alongside Julia Burrer, Greenhouse Arts Center alongside Lauren Panzica, as well as Nimbus Art Centers’ Summer Arts Program, Dance to Learn curriculum and various after school programs. She is currently a company member of Freespace Dance, lead by artistic director Donna Scro Samori. When Melina is not dancing or teaching, you can find her with her head in a book, as she is a full time nursing student! Her goal is to combine arts and healthcare to serve as an holistic model of wellness for all.

Marie Zvosec

Modern III, Ensemble Company Class , Acro IV/V (conditioning)

(She/Her)

Marie Zvosec is a graduate of The Juilliard School under the direction ofBenjamin Harkarvy and Lawrence Rhodes (B.F.A.), the Dancers’ Studio at Oberlin, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and, most recently, Sarah Lawrence College under the direction of John Jasperse (M.F.A.). She has been seen performing with Buglisi Dance Theatre, TAKE, Dance, Bennyroyce Dance, Hilary Easton + Company, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Juri Onuki, Doug Elkins + Friends, Mary Seidman and Dancers, Regina Nejman and Company, Shannon Gillan and Elisabeth Motley’s DOORKNOB Company, Elizabeth Keen, and with the Metropolitan Opera in productions by Zhang Yimou and Mark Morris.

Ms. Zvosec was a Fellow at BAM’s Professional Development Program and was a full scholarship awardee for the Teaching Artist Training at the National Dance Institute.While on faculty, she served as Chair of the Dance Department at Brooklyn Music School. She served as Chair of the Department of Dance at Randolph College while also coordinating the 2022 American College Dance Association’s Mid-Atlantic South Conference. Most recently, she was Director of the Helen McGehee Visiting Artist in Dance Program. Ms. Zvosec is on the faculty of the Dance Department at Adelphi University.