TUZER BALLET

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!

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

School. My dad was one of the first engineers to work for Texas Instruments in the mid-1950’s.

I moved to NYC at the ripe age of sixteen to train at the School of American Ballet on a full Ford Foundation scholarship and then received a professional dance contract at the age of 18 with Harkness Ballet. We danced and toured the world, during which time I met my husband Tanzu. We also danced in other renowned dance companies in Europe until 1977, when we decided to settle down and chose Richardson.

I lost Tanju to cancer in 2017 after 44 wonderful years together. In addition to being one of the finest male ballet dancers of his time, he was a Renaissance man who loved nature, fishing, camping, gardening and beekeeping. He also loved constructing all our furniture.

I have always loved traveling, crocheting, cooking and yoga. My eight-year-old grandson and my younger daughter live with me now and I am loving spending time with them and seeing him grow up.

What makes you most proud to be associated with Tuzer Ballet?

I am proud of all the wonderful students that we have taught. After spending so much time with them during their adolescence, I find it so rewarding to watch them grow into responsible and loving adults. Many of my former dancers stay in contact with me and I see them prospering in all fields of life. I am also proud of our many beautiful performances over the years.

Do you have a show schedule lined up for the upcoming year? Can you share with us some of the highlights?

Tuzer Ballet does three to four productions yearly. In September we sold out three performances of our fall show, entitled Counter-Pointe. We performed some new commissioned contemporary choreography along with some classical dances. The dancers also performed some of Mr. Tuzer’s wonderful dances that he had choreographed many years ago.

After the December Nutcracker run, we will host our annual Tuzer Dance School spring production at the Eisemann Center.

Please share information about this year’s Nutcracker performance at the Eisemann Center.

Our annual Nutcracker production at the Eisemann Center will be held on December 16 and 17 at 2:00 pm. Tuzer Ballet includes international guest dancers from all over the world. Tickets for the Nutcracker are available for purchase at http://tuzerballet.org.

Lauren Lovelett, who was a Principal dancer with New York City Ballet for six years before retiring from NYCB at a very young age, will be our Sugar Plum Fairy this year. She now performs all over the world and is famous for her innovative choreography.

Do you have a goal for 2023? Or any plans for change?

I hope to continue the tradition that we started in 1977 of making a difference in these children’s lives. I want others to love ballet as much as I have over these decades and to pass the torch to future generations.

Is there anything else you would like the citizens of Richardson to know about Tuzer Ballet?

We are committed to Richardson and love performing at the Eisemann Center’s world class performance hall. We thank the Richardson Cultural Arts Commission for helping support us annually with generous financial grants. We thank all the people who have loved us and Tuzer Ballet over the past forty-six years and we will continue to share our passion for the art of dance with whomever comes through our doors.