Upgrading an existing backbone server-side rendering application using node.js?

I have a web application whose current structure is to display everything in the browser using backbone.js and client templates, pulling all the dynamic content from the Python-enabled JSON API. Some of the applications are quite happy that I would not mind serving it to Google and supporting clients that do not support JS, so I thought about moving to an architecture where the first request is processed by the Node application, which displays the first page and serves to render it, after which The Backbone will take over the management of the client if JS is allowed to execute subsequent requests as they work.

I know of several efforts (such as development bones ) to implement such a strategy, but they seem to be expecting an application that was planned based on their use, which, for better or for worse, was not mine.

I am looking for tools, libraries, etc. that will facilitate this transition. Bonus points, if practical, offer a slightly different experience in some areas for non-JS customers. Thoughts?