You Can't Stop This Dancer

Nicole's Story

At an early age, Nicole knew she wanted to be a bright star...

Nicole's Story

At a young age, Nicole made the connection to her future dreams through the arts. Dancing and acting was her life plan. In January 2008, Nicole moved to New York to pursue her dreams of being a “triple threat” on Broadway. She attended Dance New Amsterdam for weekly dance classes, and to earn her certification as a Pilates Instructor. She got a job as a personal trainer at the Cornell Fitness Center in New York, which gave her the freedom to go to auditions.

On August 30, 2008, after her best audition yet, Nicole got locked out of her apartment building in Harlem. Thinking perhaps she could gain access to her bedroom window via the fire escape, Nicole went to the roof of her building. Realizing that it would be a near-impossible feat, she decided against trying. What happened next remains a mystery. Nicole was found in the air shaft of her building, over eight hours after falling six stories from the roof. She had a broken neck, back, pelvis, ribs and punctured lung. Her final prognosis revealed that she had an incomplete spinal cord injury leaving her as a Ambulatory quadriplegic.

She could have made the choice to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, but instead, she has worked hard, pushing the limits of her body, so that she can walk. During this time Nicole has not moved forward in her career but also developed a system helping patients with catastrophic injuries as well as medical providers find a faster way towards the road of recovery.

Today Nicole is a highly sought-after speaker. She also teaches a class called “Yoga Meets Dance.” She was certified to teach after completing a two-week, 100-hour certification course in Sedona, Arizona in October 2010. And she does amazing choreography for individuals, full dance companies, plays, flash mobs, first dances for weddings and more. AND, as if that’s enough, she does voice-over work!

A slogan for Nicole’s recovery was coined shortly after her accident. “You Can’t Stop This Dancer” sums up the indomitable spirit of Nicole Marquez.

For more information on Nicole’s speaking career, click here.

For more information on Yoga Meets Dance, click here.

For more information on choreography, click here.