Michelle Bailey

Co-Artistic Director

Michelle Bailey Co-Artistic Director of Back Stage Dance Center LLC has her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and possesses a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Quinnipiac College. She is proud to have been trained at The Dancer’s Studio, North Haven, beginning at the age three. Michelle is a master teacher and continues to judge competitions and auditions throughout the United States and Canada. She is USGA safety certified in acrobatic instruction and is a nationally certified member and examiner of Dance Masters of America (DMA). Michelle is extremely active in the dance community and currently sits on the Board of Directors of DMA Chapter 18, CT. She graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo through the Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School Program. Michelle is a Certified Personal Trainer and 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher. Michelle believes strongly in the community and is the Chief Operations Officer of Project Courage in Old Saybrook, CT.

Stacey Nagel Lankarge

CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Co-Artistic Director of Back Stage Dance Center LLC, began dancing when she was eight at Dawn Michaele’s School of Dance, North Branford. She studied Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, andModern dance. She won several awards in regional and national competitions. To further her knowledge, she attended classes at the New Haven Ballet in Madison. Throughout high school, Stacey participated in the Educational Center for the Arts program. This program allows students to attend concentrated high school courses in the morning and artistic courses in the afternoon. While attending Quinnipiac College, she choreographed for and performed with their Dance Company. Stacey is certified by test to teach through Dance Masters of America Chapters 26 & 18. Currently, she attends classes at Broadway Dance Center, NY & through Dance Masters of America Master Classes. When Stacey is not teaching, she is a Registered Nurse at Connecticut Valley Hospital.

Faculty 

See who teaches our classes!

We are proud to have a talented and multifaceted staff that work together to develop well-rounded dancers both in and out of the classroom. The Back Stage Dance Center coaching team reflects the expectations we have for our students by celebrating our individual teaching styles, our specialized skill sets, and varied life experiences while working together to meet the goals of each dancer in our program.

AllAcrobatic TumblingJazzNinja WarriorYoga & FitnessTiny TumblersBalletHip HopLittle Imaginations (Level 1&2)LyricalPointeTapTap Ballet Dance (TBD)Tap Ballet Jazz (TBJ)Theater ArtsContemporary

Michelle Bailey

Stacey Lankarge

Caity Steele

Kristen Carpentier

Sandy Taddei Nye

Emily Branigan

Kimberly Spanier

Corrina Thomas

Luke Bermingham

Melissa Klien-Yarnell

Barbara-Ruth Hickey

Tovah Vincent

Amanda Stevens

Heather Theriault