Patricia (Machette) Tuzer was born in Dallas, Texas where she began her studies at age three. During her early teens, she received scholarships to study with the New York City Ballet, Harkness and Joffrey Ballets. At the age of eighteen, she joined the Harkness Ballet in New York, where she danced as soloist and principal dancer in Ballets such as Firebird, Abyss, Nightsong, and Souvenirs.

In 1977, Patricia and Tanju moved to Dallas and opened Tuzer Dancenter. They stage their first Nutcracker in 1982. The Tuzer Ballet performs the Nutcracker each December and sponsors the Richardson Dance festivals each Fall and Spring.