School of Nimbus Dance Works: Pre-Professional/ Scholarship Program Audition: Saturday, September 6th: 4-6pm

The School of Nimbus Dance Works will be holding auditions for Nimbus? Pre-professional training and scholarship programs on September 6, 4-6pm, at its new studio space located at 209 Third Street in Downtown Jersey City. Designed for advance teenage students seeking to train for a career in the professional dance world and for entrance into competitive college dance programs, the Pre-professional program offers daily technique classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop; performance opportunities through the Nimbus Repertory Ensemble (pre-professional youth dance company); and participation in ?Opportunity Knocks? ? life goal and college prep program.

"Opportunity Knocks"

Integrating rigorous dance training with a curriculum based in personal, academic and artistic planning, goal-setting, "Opportunity Knocks" was co-designed with Jersey City-based educators Dr. Edgar Rivera, Ph.D. and Lillian Rivera, MPH. Nimbus Dance Works founder and Artistic Director Samuel Pott believes this integrated approach will help college-bound dancers achieve success in all aspects of life. ?As part of our approach to dance there is a lot of discussion about personal integrity, respect, responsibility and teamwork,? says Pott, a former featured dancer with Martha Graham Dance Company. ?With Opportunity Knocks we hope to support the students in adapting these types of life skills that they learn in dance to other areas of their lives and how to develop a realistic action plan to accomplish them.?

The Opportunity Knocks program will meet bi-weekly and is part of a larger series of commitments pre-professional students make in terms of regular attendance to technique class, rehearsals, performances, work-study jobs such as assisting with younger kids? classes, publicity/event production, studio upkeep.

Students ages 9 and above are invited to audition for a scholarship on September 6th; students ages 12 and above are eligible for the Pre-professional program. Dance experience is recommended but not required for the audition. The School of Nimbus Dance Works makes every effort to make dance training available to youth regardless of ability to pay ? students under age 9 should contact Nimbus office directly for scholarship information.

Lillian Rivera is currently the Director of Advocacy and Capacity Building at the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), the nation?s oldest and largest LGBTQ youth services agency with sites in New York City and Newark New Jersey, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Nimbus Dance Works. Dr. Edgar Rivera Colon was 2013-2014 Visiting Professor of Latino and Latin American Studies and Critical Gender & Sexuality Studies at Sarah Lawrence College. He teaches at Columbia University?s Narrative Medicine Program