The Nutcracker is a holiday classic. Ballet companies all over North Texas tell the story of Clara, the Nutcracker Prince and the journey to the kingdom of sweets. When Chung-Lin Tseng takes the stage this season, it will be especially sweet. The Taiwan-born dancer and his Italian-born wife En rica Tseng came to the U.S. from Seoul, Korea in 1998 to dance and later founded Ballet Frontier in Fort Worth. Chung-Lin is the artistic director; Enrica the artistic advisor. A medical scare last year almost brought a finale to a decades-long career. “He kept complaining about the sight from his right eye during the summer, and we thought it was, you know, age and minor, minor problems,” Enrica Tseng said. His primary care doctor sent him to an eye doctor, but he couldn’t discover the problem. Months later, Chung-Lin’s eyesight worsened. “When it comes to Christmas time, my students who study in Europe, they came back to visit me and then we have a cup of coffee and a cake. I started to realize I couldn’t see their face. I was panicking,” Chung-Lin Tseng said. Several tests later revealed that a tumor the size of a ping pong ball was growing in his pituitary gland and pressing on the optical nerve. Chung-Lin needed surgery. “I have to do this surgery because it really affect my routine, my life routine. A lot of times, I take a rehearsal for a company. I couldn’t see 40% of activity in the studio,” he said. But the surgery would have to wait. Chung-Lin was rehearsing for a big performance in Taiwan, his native country, and yet doing it with almost half of his eyesight gone. “Yes, without seeing my partner,” he said. “I practice a lot in the morning with my eyes closed to sense the space. There was quite a lonely journey by myself because I don’t want my partner to worry about her safety.” For Chung-Lin, it was also a journey back home. The former figure skater left Taiwan 35 years ago to study classical ballet in Hong Kong, then joined the company in Seoul.  “I was kind of a late bloomer. I went to dance school. I was 24. Actually, it was very rare,” he said. Chung-Lin now had a chance to perform one final time in what he considered a retirement show. Those two months of practicing alone paid off, and he and his partner delivered a mistake-free performance, he says. He then returned to Fort Worth and the minimally invasive surgery to remove the tumor that was causing his eyesight to fail. “I really don’t know what happened during these long hours. But when I wake up, the first thing I open my eyes, I could see my wife Enrica right away, the full picture. It’s just like gift from God,” he said. “What a gift. What a gift,” Enrica Tseng said. “Even the doctors that came to visit him, they could not believe it. It’s like, wow, that’s incredible.” Seven months after surgery, Chung-Lin is back in the studio and amazing people with his energy, strength and positivity. “I don’t need to close my eyes during the rehearsal. I can feel my partner’s balance, So, I think I’m in a pretty good shape now,” he said. Ballet Frontier has captivated audiences with its production of The Nutcracker for nearly 15 years. On Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth, Chung-Lin at the age of 59 will return to the stage to perform the role of the Snow King, bringing passion, grace, and talent to the art he fell in love with so long ago. Tickets are available on the Ballet Frontier website. ...read more read less