Artist Profile: Nancy Tolbert-Yilmaz

Teaching Dancers for Decades

By Paige Gardner

Few people discover their lifes purpose at age three, or start a successful business at an age when most people are trying to determine a major in college, but Nancy Tolbert-Yilmaz, founder of the renowned Tolbert-Yilmaz School of Dance in Roswell, is the rare exception.

After beginning dance lessons as a toddler, Nancy spent her childhood and teen years perfecting her craft. At the age of 21, she married her husband and opened her dance studio within the span of a few months.

We opened the original location in a house on Canton Street, she said. At the time, there were no dance classes in Roswell; there was no dance school, no dance studio. Nancy anticipated 75 students for the schools debut enrollment. We had 350 kids that first year, she said. It was 1979, and North Fulton County saw an influx of families with children. We were in the right place at the right time.

As Roswell and the surrounding communities continued to grow, so did the enrollment in dance classes at the Tolbert-Yilmaz School of Dance, which required a facility that could handle the increased demand. In 1995, Nancy and her staff of instructors moved to a larger facility on Alpharetta Street, where it remains today. The current location houses five state-of-the-art studios, and I could use one more, Nancy stated.

She and her staff of 25 instructors work to instill a love of dance and a strong work ethic in their students. Rather than focus on competitions, Tolbert-Yilmaz dance students train for festivals, as well as to pursue dance as a way of life. My goal is to get my kids not just into college, but with a scholarship, she proclaimed. Many of the schools alumni have gone on to become professional dancers and dance instructors.

The reputation of the Tolbert-Yilmaz School of Dance contributes to its continued success and growth. This year, our goal was to have 1,000 students enrolled in September, said Nancy. We have 1,593 students, many of whom are children or even grandchildren of those who learned the craft at the dance school in its early years. For The Nutcracker this year, we have three generations of students performing! Nancy proudly exclaimed.

When asked how many students have learned to dance at the school, Nancy laughed. That would probably be like counting grains of sand on the beach! she said.

A Roswell native, Nancy is committed not just to the dance school that she founded, but also to sustaining the growth and reputation of the community. In addition to her role as Artistic Director of the school, Nancy serves as the current president of SERBA (Southeastern Regional Ballet Association), is an ordained deacon in the Baptist church, an esteemed board member of the Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau and a member of Roswell Rotary.

But the dance school is where her heart lies. I love every minute Im in the studio. Its my happy place, Nancy said.