Nancy Houssels, Chairman and Co-Founder, Nevada Ballet Theatre
Is it possible for a world-class culture to blossom behind the glitz and glitter of the Las Vegas Strip? "It certainly is," according to Nancy Houssels, chairman and co-founder of the Nevada Ballet Theatre. "This city continues to be built on new dreams, each and every day!"
Houssels, who started serious ballet training at age 3, danced professionally as part of the famous dance team of "Szony and Claire" throughout the 1960s. They dazzled the world with their stunning performances, reaching internationally from Vienna to New York City. They also appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," captivating audiences across America.
"We were offered the starring roles back in 1968 as the closing act for the Folies Bergere, at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino." In 1969, in true fairy tale fashion and upon her retirement from professional dancing, "I met my future husband, and I had one date with him and said this is the man I am going to marry." True to her word, they were married. The lucky gentleman turned out to be leading businessman J. Kell Houssels, then president of the Tropicana. His family was one of the original owners and early pioneers in the Las Vegas gaming industry.
"The Nevada Ballet Theatre evolved," recalls Houssels. "It really began with Vassili Sulich in 1972. He was the lead male dancer for the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana. He worked with top dancers from the casino showrooms and presented dance concerts to the public. They were a huge hit. Vassili guided our growth as artistic director for over 25 years, retiring in 1996.
"At the start, we needed to raise some money to support a ballet company. We brought together 15 people, called the Grand Founders. Each put up $1,000. We gradually grew, and today we operate on a $3 million budget."
The Nevada Ballet Theatre blossomed from just a two-person operation with a few moonlighting dancers to over 100 people. In 1996, they received a donation of land from the Howard Hughes Corporation and a major grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to house a dazzling new $5 million dance facility in Summerlin, one of the finest in the United States.
A very impressive, 36,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility features seven dance studios, scenery and costume shops, a Pilates studio, administration offices and a corporate boardroom.
"The NBT school went from a couple hundred to over 500. We had instant growth with the new building. Over 2,000 from the community use our facilities each week. For children we teach tap, jazz, ballet and hip-hop. For adults its Pilates, yoga, jazzercise, ballroom and swing dance.
"Our artistic director, Bruce Steivel, directed the Hong Kong Ballet and the Universal Ballet of Korea. He has done a tremendous job and has taken us to the next level. He truly has put together an outstanding company."
On the horizon? "Las Vegas is ready for our own world-class Performing Arts Center. We have the land down-town, $150 million in the bank and are very close to making this dream a reality. The Reynolds Foundation has donated $50 million. The Center will be named the Fred W. and Mary B. Smith Performing Arts Center. The Smith Center will attract the finest live performances from around the world. It will be a new and glorious era for the arts for Las Vegas."
Nancy Houssels and the Nevada Ballet Theatre is here to stay, bringing to all the best of world-class entertainment and culture in Southern Nevada.
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Is it possible for a world-class culture to blossom behind the glitz and glitter of the Las Vegas Strip? "It certainly is," according to Nancy Houssels, chairman and co-founder of the Nevada Ballet Theatre. "This city continues to be built on new dreams, each and every day!"
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