About Us

TJ Dance began in 1984. Jayne was instructing aerobics classes at the time with a dear friend Terry Foster. They went by the name "TJ Goodbody" Ahh haa The answer to the most ask question "Where does the "T" come from in TJ Dance?" Aerobics was fun, but Jayne REALLY missed dancing! Glen & Jeri Kuntz had a space in their "tanning salon" below "Alices" (for you ol' locals) and encouraged Jayne to give teaching dance classes a try. She started in March of 84 with 2 classes and all 14 students put on their first recital at Cherry Valley Elementary in June - just 2 months after they started. All the costumes were hand made (bulk material bought by Jayne spread out all over the dance floor for the "cut out the pattern" party!). All the music was recorded off albums onto a cassette tape. The lights consisted of a few spot lights the school found in the music storage room and Jayne filled with bulbs. Since we only had a few dances learned by then, we filled in our show with with Tae Kwon Do Demos, "impromptu" Break Dancing featuring Jayne's adorable boys Justin & Jesse, and even an Aerobic Class Demo! The chairs for the audience were set up by friends and we even offered free cake and coffee to encourage people to come watch our show!

In 1989, Peg became a wonderful addition to TJ Dance. She had been an audience member for several years watching her daughter Heather dance, but found herself squirming in her seat - itching to help and to dance! She offered her ballet expertise which was much needed at TJ Dance.

We've come a LONG way since 1984. We've made so many changes. We have two studios now and some wonderful teachers! TJ Dance became an LLC in 2003 and had over 250 dancers in our 2005 shows (6 shows!) The shows are an incredible demonstration of community teamwork and participation with hundreds of volunteers that make them actually happen! And have I mentioned? We do have the BEST shows around!

We stay active in the community, supporting the schools and many local fundraisers. We, (the teachers at TJ Dance) try to stay current and always learning by attending workshops and classes. The Seattle area has become a "hub" for dancers. We have been treated to some of the greatest teachers and performers here in the Pacific NorthWest. The Seattle area is truly "RICH" in dance knowledge and resources! A special thanks to Johnson and Peters for making much of that happen! We love to dance! We love to teach dance! We truly LOVE what we do!

Karen, Stephanie, Bailey, Chelsea, Jayne, Peggy, Bethany, Margie, Aariel & Nyree           August 2018