Paul E. Curtis Jr.

Paul E. Curtis, Jr.

Resident of San Jose

Nov. 2, 1926 - Aug. 21, 2011

'Mr. C.' as his students called him, was happiest when he was teaching a ballet class. The son of Paul Edward and Blanche M. Curtis, he was born on Nov. 2, 1926 in Los Gatos, CA. He attended that town's elementary school and graduated from L.G. High School in 1944. Long time Los Gatans know him as 'Bud'. He worked as the Ticket Taker at The Gatos (currently the Los Gatos Cinema) during his sophomore, junior and senior years in high school. His mother introduced him to theater, opera and ballet when he was eleven years old and he quickly became a devotee.

Graduating from The Pasadena Playhouse in 1947, he followed a faculty committee's advice and began studying dance as a possible career. He began classical ballet studies in Los Angeles, where he appeared in shows at The Hollywood Bowl and The Greek Theater. He later studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and in New York City where Benjamin Harkarvy became his mentor. Ben's theories regarding placement and analytical comprehension became the basis of Paul's teaching methods

After an injury in 1953, he returned home and worked for a year as a Teller at the First National Bank of Los Gatos. In 1954 he began teaching a few weekly ballet classes at the old Los Gatos History Club. He later purchased a building on Park Ave. that became the Paul E. Curtis - Los Gatos Academy of Dance. In the early 60s he began producing variations from The Nutcracker each holiday season and other small ballet productions throughout the year. At this time his dream of establishing a local ballet company, comprised of both student and professional dancers, began to take form. In September of 1968 the studio moved to 16 Lydon Ave.

In June of 1966 he met Shawn Stuart, a dancer in San Francisco. They shared similar dreams for a ballet company. Their individual talents and goals complemented each other. They became a pair and began working together to Co-Found and Co-Direct a ballet company in San Jose.

On December 16, 1966 at 8:25 p.m. the curtain of the San Jose Civic Auditorium went up on the first production of the complete The Nutcracker Ballet in Santa Clara County History. Since that night, the production of that ballet, by many different companies, has become a part of the South Bay's annual holiday tradition.

Originally known as The West Valley Ballet, the company changed its name to San Jose Dance Theatre in 1972 in order to better reflect the scope of its activities and its dancers.

More than 85 of Paul's students went on to professional careers in dance and more than 45 became dance teachers, which he felt was his greatest achievement.

Paul retired from teaching in July 1993, but continued to direct the annual productions of The Nutcracker through 1998.

He died on Sunday, August 21, 2011, in the Santa Clara Kaiser Foundation Hospital from Pneumonia and Kidney failure. He had been living at the Mission Villa Alzheimer's Residence for six weeks prior to being admitted to the hospital. He died gracefully, peacefully and pain free.

He is survived by two cousins, Jane Turner and Daryl Baker and his Domestic Partner of 45 years, Shawn Stuart.

At his request there will not be a formal funeral service. Plans for a celebration of his life are being made. Donations in his name may be made to your favorite charity or to Opera San Jose's K-12 Educational Programs, in as much as his greatest passions (aside from reading) was for opera and introducing young people to the arts.