ARTS & CULTURE IN RICHARDSON
TUZER BALLET Responses provided by Tuzer Ballet Founder Pat Tuzer
Educate our readers about Tuzer Ballet. After an extensive international professional dance career, my late husband, Tanju Tuzer, and I decided to return to my hometown of Richardson to start a family and, in 1977, opened our first ballet school, Tuzer Dance Center. Since the beginning more than 46 years ago, we have experienced great success and have been recognized and acclaimed for teaching a very classical and disciplined form of ballet. Our students receive many scholarships to dance schools, dance companies and colleges. In 1982, we formed the Richardson Ballet with some women who were active in the Richardson Symphony organization and soon began our Nutcracker production. After the Nutcracker’s success, we founded Tuzer Ballet Company, a nonprofit which still exists and is thriving today. Our dance academy, Tuzer Dance School, is still located on the SE corner of Glenville Dr. at Apollo, just next to the post office. While our students receive a thorough classical ballet education, we also introduce them to other dance styles such as contemporary, character and assorted folk dancing. What do you love about working with dancers? I love seeing them grow up and I love how we can make an impact on their current and future lives as they develop an appreciation of dance, such a beautiful art form. As humans, we have an innate sense of rhythm and the urgency to move. Dance provides the perfect combination of movement, purpose, creativity and discipline. These students also make lifelong friends at the studio. Many remain close friends after 20-30 years!
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RICHARDSON LIFE MAGAZINE
Romeo & Juliet
Tell us about yourself, Pat. I started my dance lessons at the early age of two-and-a-half and have never taken a break! I have loved dance my entire life and it is still the center
of my world. I moved to Richardson in 1959 as a young child and attended three public schools in Richardson: Dover Elementary, Richardson West Junior High and Richardson High
