The Stagez Set for New Dance Club

When Jesseca Keller turned 16, she wanted to go dancing with her friends.

Her mother, Lisa Keller, tried to find an appropriate dance club for high school kids, but found nothing.

"There was nowhere to do that," Lisa Keller said.

Meanwhile, the elder Keller and her friend, Kerrianne DiLorenzo Simon, both worked at Countrywide Mortgage and were looking for new careers. DiLorenzo suggested to Keller that they open the sort of place they could not find: a fun, safe place where tweens and teens could go to dance and party.

"We have another 20 years to work and we wanted to do something fun," Keller said.

It took some time – more than a year because of some unexpected medical obstacles – but Stagez: A Meeting Place opens this Saturday.

The grand opening is a family event. Stagez, which is at 7597 Mentor Ave., will have face painting, baton twirling, balloon artists, the Cavaliers breakdancing Scream Team and more, starting at 11 a.m.

Then, the fun will continue Memorial Day weekend with DJs from 96.5 FM on Friday, followed by singer Cadi Miles and rapper Aaron Lafayette on Saturday.

Both middle school and high school kids are welcome at Stagez, but not on the same night.

Friday nights will cater to middle-school students and feature more games and contests. On Saturdays, only high school students can come and dance.

"I think the two age groups need to be separated," Keller said. "They're wholly different groups."

In addition to a dance floor, game room and full-service kitchen, Stagez will have VIP "cabanas" that can be rented for the night.

"We want to cater to those 13- and 16-year milestone birthdays," Keller said.

The entire club can be rented on weekdays for bar and bat mitzvahs, fundraisers, band battles, talent shows and more.

Keller also noted that she and DiLorenzo took steps to make Stagez safe, as well as fun.

"Safety's our number-one thing," Keller said.

Stagez has a parents' room that lets moms and dads keep an eye on kids via security cameras. Also, the business offers a Back Stagez pass. The pass is free and gives the kids a $5 discount off the $15 admission fee every time. But it also allows the Stagez crew to know if the kid is in the building or not, because a crew member scans the pass whenever the child enters or leaves.

Both kids and parents must sign the application for a Back Stagez pass, which is available online.

Keller and DiLorenzo have a lot of ideas. They plan to give each weekend a theme and hope to tie the theme to a worthwhile cause.

For example, Keller said Stagez could host a back-to-school dance in August, collect school supplies for those who need it and offer  a discounted admission to anyone who donates.

"We seriously want to do something every single weekend to give back to the community," Keller said.