9 Fun Facts About How RAD Dance Studio Came to Be
RAD Values Reflected: Respect • Leadership
Grab your dance shoes, because we’re taking a trip back to 1991. Long before “RAD Dance Studio” was the name on our door, our little corner of Agoura Hills was already teaching kids that dance lessons are life lessons. Here are nine fun facts about how we got here, and why we’re just as proud of where we started as where we’re headed.
It All Began as Retter’s Academy of Dance
RAD Dance Studio was founded in 1991 under the artistic direction of Darryl Retter and Linda Bernabei Retter, known then as Retter’s Academy of Dance. For 31 years, “Retter’s” was the name every dance family in the Valley knew, and the values they built the studio on are still the ones we teach today.
Our Founders Were Bona Fide Dance Royalty
Darryl and Linda Retter weren’t just studio owners, they were nationally recognized Master Teachers and Choreographers, affiliated with some of the biggest names in the dance convention world, including Tremaine Dance. Their reputation is part of why families used to (and still do) drive across the Valley just to train here.
“Dance Lessons Are Life Lessons” Isn’t New, It’s Original
Our tagline didn’t come from a brainstorm session, it came straight from Darryl and Linda. Their founding motto encouraged dancers to work hard, stay patient, and find a lesson in every class and every performance. More than three decades later, it’s still the compass for everything we do.
One Class Became a Nationally Ranked Company
Back in the Retter’s days, a performance group called Rhythm Machine Dance Company grew out of the studio and became nationally ranked. Alumni families still talk about it, and that same competitive spirit lives on today in RAD Dance Company.
Our Dancers Have Performed on Nearly Every Continent
Through the studio’s Dancers Bridge L.A. program, RAD-trained performers have taught, performed, and choreographed across the U.S., on Broadway, on television, and internationally in Europe, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Guatemala, and Africa. Not bad for a studio that started in one dance room in Agoura Hills.
From Cinderella to Dancing Minions
Our preschool and camp curriculum has always leaned into pure imagination. Over the decades, our youngest dancers have twirled their way through everything from Cinderella to Dancing Minions, proof that a love of dance can start as early as it’s fun.
A New Chapter Started in 2022, With the Same Heart
After 31 years, Darryl and Linda handed the studio to Nadine Hassen (Director) and Ramsey Hassen (Co-Owner), who renamed it RAD Dance Studio and carried the torch forward, with respect for the legacy that came before and a lot of excitement for what’s next.
We’re Dancing Into Our 35th Season
Do the math: 1991 to today, that’s 35 years of self-worth, respect, and RAD spirit built right here in Agoura Hills. Not many studios get to say they’ve shaped three decades of dancers, but that’s exactly what makes it true when families tell us there’s no place like RAD.
Some of Our Best Teachers Started as Students
Several of our current instructors dance right where they once trained as kids. And our alumni keep making us proud well beyond the studio doors: RAD alum Tia Jarrett is currently touring the country with Cirque Dreams Holidaze. That full-circle moment, students becoming teachers, teachers becoming legends, is what leadership looks like at RAD.
The Next Chapter Is Still Being Written
Whether you’ve been part of the RAD family since the Retter’s days or you’re just discovering us, we hope these fun facts remind you why there’s no place like RAD. Curious what a class here actually feels like? Explore our classes or get in touch to schedule a trial, we’d love to welcome you (or welcome you back) to the next chapter of this story.
