Houssels, Nancy C. (Nancy Claire), 1935-

Born in Piedmont, California in 1935, Nancy Houssels is a retired dancer and prominent supporter of the arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. She started dancing as a child, and in 1957 received a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her dance career, she toured the world as a part of the dance team of Szony and Claire, eventually settling in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1966. She performed at the Tropicana Hotel until 1970, when she married the Tropicana's president, J. Kell Houssels, Jr. Although she retired from dancing to focus on her family, Houssels co-founded the Nevada Dance Theatre (now the Nevada Ballet Theatre) in 1972 with dancer and choreographer Vassili Sulich. Houssels also remains active in the community, having served on a number of boards, including the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) Foundation, the Meadows School, the Bank of Commerce, the Children's Service Guild, and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Houssels also chaired the Nevada State Council of the Arts for seven years and helped establish a folk arts program in Nevada. She continues to serve as the co-chair of the Nevada Ballet Theatre Board of Trustees.

Sources:

"Houssels, Nancy". Nevada International Women's Forum. Accessed February 7, 2018. http://nevadaiwf.org/houssels-nancy/.

"Nancy Houssels". Women in Nevada History: A legacy digital project. Accessed February 7, 2018. https://womennvhistory.com/portfolio/nancy-houssels/.