Patsy Swayze

Yvonne Helen "Patsy" Swayze ( née Karnes; February 7, 1927 – September 16, 2013) was an American film choreographer, dancer, and dance instructor, and the mother of actor Patrick Swayze. Her credits include choreography for ''Urban Cowboy'', ''Liar's Moon'' and ''Hope Floats''.

Early life

Swayze grew up in Houston, the daughter of Gladys Mae Karnes (née Snell), a nurse, and Victor Elliott Karnes, a World War I pilot and geologist.

When she was 10 years old, Swayze was hit by a car and her mother enrolled her in dance classes for therapy. She eventually trained in both jazz and classical ballet.

While in high school, she met and married Jesse Wayne "Buddy" Swayze, a mechanical engineer. The couple had five children, including actors Patrick Swayze and Don Swayze. The family lived on Wakefield Street in the Garden Oaks neighborhood of Houston. They later moved to another home on Del Norte Street.

Career

In the 1960s, Swayze founded and directed both the Houston Jazz Ballet Company, and her own Houston dance studio, the Swayze School of Dance. All five of her children became dancers and actors, and Patsy's training has been credited for leading her son Patrick to his starring role in ''Dirty Dancing'' in 1987. Patrick met his future wife, film director and actress Lisa Niemi, while they were Patsy's students at the Swayze School of Dance.

In addition to her own dance studio, for eighteen years Swayze taught dance and choreography at the University of Houston. Her most famous students included future Emmy Award winner Debbie Allen, Randy Quaid, Jaclyn Smith and future ten-time Tony Award winner Tommy Tune.

Patsy Swayze transitioned to film by choreographing her first movie, ''Urban Cowboy'', starring John Travolta and Debra Winger. The success of ''Urban Cowboy'' essentially launched her career as a film choreographer.

In 1981, Patsy Swayze moved from Houston to southern California. She choreographed numerous films over the next three decades, including ''Liar's Moon'' in 1982 and ''Hope Floats'' in 1998. She teamed with her daughter-in-law Lisa Niemi to choreograph the 2003 film, '' One Last Dance'', which starred Niemi, Patrick Swayze and George de la Peña.

She planned to retire from teaching and focus on film work, but instead opened a dance studio in a Simi Valley shopping center that operated for more than twenty years.

Death

On September 8, 2013, Swayze suffered a stroke at the age of 86. Days later on September 16, she died of stroke complications at her home in Simi Valley, 2 days after her older son's 4th death anniversary.

Swayze was predeceased by her parents; her husband, who died of a heart attack in 1982; her oldest daughter Vicky Lynn, who died of suicide in 1994 at the age of 45; her actor son Patrick, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 at the age of 57; her sisters, Kathryn and Diana Latham; and her brother, Elliott Karnes.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swayze, Patsy
1927 births
2013 deaths
American choreographers
American female dancers
American women choreographers
American women educators
Artists from Houston
Dance teachers
Film choreographers
People from Simi Valley, California
University of Houston faculty