Alex and Midori are wonderful people. I took a few weeks of "Dad n' Daughter" lessons for her wedding. Just fantastic. Remember it's up to you to practice. read more

Alex was our dance instructor for our first dance for our wedding day in 2018. We took lessons for 8 months and he truly knows all dances, is funny, patient, and so so talented! You will not regret the investment in dance lessons at all. Look no further. Here is a picture of us from our famous "lift" part of dirty dancing! read more

Astoria Ballroom - Dirty dancing famous lift! Nailed it! - Dance Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We decided to go here in preparation for our first dance since we had no idea what we were doing and from the first lesson we learned so much! Alex is a great teacher, even for those who have NEVER danced before! In a few lessons we were able to have a whole routine that wowed all our guests! Thank you so much for making our first dance as husband and wife the best it could be! read more

Astoria Ballroom - Wowed all our guests!! - Dance Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My Mom had a blast at Astoria Ballroom for her 50th birthday! We went with the theme of Roaring 20's and enjoyed a night of dancing and music. We were about 30 people inside the room and Alex (owner) was really gracious and generous with his help with setup and even a free dance session during the party.. its so easy to learn from him that even my Dad and uncles learned to salsa quickly Consider this place for your next party! Highly recommended! read more

Astoria Ballroom - All prepped and ready to dance! - Dance Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Midori & Alex were extremely helpful and patient with my fiance and I in preparing for our first dance. Because I'm not a musically-inclined or gifted with extraordinary coordination, pressure of first dance was the highest cause of anxiety for me during wedding prep. Midori helped us through everything from picking a song, to creating a custom (simple but beautiful) choreographed dance for our wedding day. She was patient, personable, and perceptive of our ability range. Overall 10/10, would dance again. read more

Three months prior to my wedding day, my fiancé and I walked into Astoria Ballroom Dance Studio in Costa Mesa and met with Midori. We told her that our goal was to assure that our first dance did not actually look like our first dance on our wedding day. She agreed to be our instructor and my wife and I signed up for eight lessons each lasting 45 minutes. The price was reasonable. The song we chose was The Air That I Breathe by the Hollies. Midori came up with the choreography based on the venue and selected difficulty. My wife had dance experience. I listened to Metallica in the 80s, hence I had no dance experience. The first class was a feeler, an opportunity for Midori to see what she was dealing with. My wife floated. I sank. Midori would say words like 'box' and 'side to side'. I could barely keep straight which foot needed to go where. Even so, Midori encouraged us and told us to practice before our next lesson. My wife and I may have had Midori's encouragement, but I left knowing that there was at least one who had their doubts. Pogi! He's the dance studio dog that judges, scrutinizes and sleeps. I had to win him over! Our second and third lesson went better. I was starting to understand the dance terminology. Midori's instruction made sense as to how my body was supposed to move relative to my wife. Again Midori encouraged us, while Pogi on the other hand seemed apathetic. Clearly my wife and I improved after the forth and fifth lesson. My wife is a natural. She moved like an angel and easily transitioned Midori's verbal instruction into actual dance. Perhaps I was too concerned with Pogi's opinion. Don't get me wrong. I was getting better thanks to Midori, but I still hadn't won that dog over. My wife and I planned a trip to Taiwan for three weeks in the middle of our lessons. My wife's parents were throwing us an engagement party. Midori was able to work with our schedule, but stressed the importance of continuing to practice. Lessons six and seven went much better. Clearly Midori's instruction was paying off. I was actually dancing. And I may have actually saw a tail wag! Lesson eight was our last. We danced three more times for Midori that day. It was not always smooth. Perhaps it was nerves. But Midori had done her best to help me dance with my wife on our wedding day. That's all I really wanted. And of course Pogi's respect. On a serious note, Midori was fun to work with. I came into the studio with no experience and was able to dance on my wedding day. It was not only fun for me and my wife, but also our guests, who definitely got a kick out of it. If you're reading this and you have no dance experience or are self conscious about dancing in general, Astoria is the place and Midori is your instructor! read more

My fiancé and I adore Midori! We wanted to do something unique for our first wedding dance and she guided us the entire way. From the song selection to the style, she's helped choreograph a truly special dance. Wedding planning is stressful as it is, so it was a tremendous relief to have her patience and guidance throughout the entire process. We did the package of ten dance lessons, which was absolutely worth it. My fiancé have enjoyed every minute of our lessons. Thank you, Astoria Ballroom!! read more

Midori has been such a pleasure to learn dance from. My fiancé and I came to her seeking a crash course in tango for our wedding and she was the perfect instructor for us being that we had never had any previous dance experience before. Her approach is very easy to grasp, and is unbelievably patient and just an all around good to be around. I highly recommend to anyone seeking to learn to dance that this is the place to do so. read more

We were lucky to have Alex as our instructor for our wedding dance. He was always very passionate and made each class special. It wasn't just the final product that we were happy with, but each lesson was meaningful and Alex took time to get to know us personally. He was encouraging through all the lessons, but also pushed us to try new things and develop our skills. Alex understands dance better than anyone, but he also has profound insight into the dynamics of working with your partner and learning each others strengths and weaknesses. We feel very lucky to have had him as our coach. ~ Chris & Megan read more

This has got to be the best dance studio in Costa Mesa. I came to Astoria for a beginning zouk course, and felt immediately welcomed. Marissa and Rinaldo are incredibly effective teachers who go out of their way to make sure everyone understands the material, and will happily work one on one with you if you're needing extra assistance. Their enthusiasm for dance and teaching keeps the energy high, making it feel more like a small community than a class. If you're looking to try something new, or expand upon your dancing knowledge, or get some exercise, or even just make friends, this is the studio for you! read more

Went here with my girlfriend as a Christmas present. We loved it and Midori was so nice, taking us through a special waltz step. We're looking forward to coming back! read more

It's difficult to know what to look for when you're getting into ballroom dancing, because without knowing what makes a good teacher, or what's really involved in being a good dancer, you have no way of knowing how to choose a studio. But Alex and Midori at Astoria Ballroom have what it takes. I had taken introductory lessons at a number of other studios in Orange County, and I always felt that something was missing. I felt like I was learning steps, but that I wasn't learning how to DANCE. I wanted to learn how to dance...how to create movement in my body, how to place my feet, how to feel the lead from a partner. In my search, I didn't find it; I felt like I was wasting my money, so I gave up on dance. A few years later, I met a student of Alex's, who, after I explained my frustration with my experiences at other ballrooms in Orange County, told me that Astoria Ballroom was exactly what I was looking for. I called and scheduled my first lesson with Alex. Four years later, I'm happy to say that I found what I was looking for, and I'm thrilled. So, if you're looking to learn how to dance (not just learn the steps), I couldn't recommend Astoria Ballroom any higher. read more

Currently taking waltz lessons for my first dance (wedding) with the lovely Midori. I don't have any previous experience dancing and I'm not one to love being in the spotlight but taking lessons here has built up my confidence and made me comfortable. Would recommend , and would love to come back to learn other styles .it has been worth the drive from Whittier to Costa Mesa! read more

What a great way to spend time with your partner! So much fun! Midoro and Alex obviously love dance and enjoy sharing their passion with others. They are teaching my partner Kelly and I (beginners) Salsa, a little Rumba and a touch of Tango. They are patient and progress at a reasonable pace. Each lesson is an enjoyable experience that brings Kelly and I closer as a couple. I highly recommend the Astoria Ballroom to anyone considering dance lessons. read more

I'm visiting from Boston and it was almost impossible for me to find a studio that was opened at the time that I needed or that would even allow me to rent out space for a rehearsal. The owner Alex was very accommodating and friendly. The studio was clean, welcoming, and had a very zen feel to it. Highly recommended if you need a space for yourself to run routines. read more

We came here, my husband and I, to learn a routine for our first dance. We are not dancers so we wanted to really show off some knew moves. Midori was our instructor. She is so kind and patient and was able to help us out with our two left feet. Our dance turned out so great, the guests loved it, loved our captured moments from the dance too. Studio is beautiful and well taken care of too! read more

We totally wanted to have a choreographed first dance for our wedding. It was last minute as we started doing research 10 weeks before the big day. I was a little nervous as I have two left feet. However, both Alex and Midori calmed those nerves and really helped me enjoy the entire experience. Not only getting in tune with my body, but learning to how lead my lady. Our first dance was so romantic, fairytale like and exactly what we dreamt it would be. Midori even went out of our way texting us the morning of wishing us the best of luck. Alex and Midori are such amazing teachers and overall good people. Our guests were WOWed and cheered us throughout the song. Definitely made dancing a fun and awesome experience! read more

I love working with Alex. It is my first experience with individual dance lessons and his explanation and directions are beyond teaching steps. I am being taught how to balance with body manipulations that help off the dance floor as well as on. It has been very exciting to realize my two left feet can actually do well enough to learn the Tango! read more

Alex is the best!! One week before our wedding we decided we wanted our first dance to be extra special. We are not professional dancers by any means but within 3 days we had the perfect amount of choreography for our first dance that was easy and fun. We felt so glamorous on the dance floor and our guests were totally wowed. Alex not only understood what we were looking for but was so flexible with his schedule to squeeze us in before the big day. We are very grateful to him!! Thank you!! As an aside his dog poochie is a great sideline cheerleader :) read more

We found this place on yelp and thought we would give it a try, to learn a choreography wedding dance. We work one on one with Alex. He was patient, funny and took his time to work with each of us. Being that we both had absolutely no experience with any kind of dance, he made us both feel so comfortable. We couldn't of asked for a better dance teacher and or place to go. We learned a whole dance and rocked it at our wedding. It was amazing what we conquered here and with Alex. We definitely plan to take more Dance lessons in the near future with him!! read more

My wife and I searched Orange County for ballroom dance instruction at several places before I came upon Astoria Ballroom. All the other dance instruction studios seemed to place an emphasis on signing you up for a "dollar amount contract" for a specified length of time which make me suspicious of their real intentions. Astoria didn't do this and instead asked first about what our goals were. They were willing to work with us so that we could gain the dancing performance we wanted without locking us into any "contracts". They also are willing to give you individual attention when needed, and they don't force you into a group learning situation with changing partners. Best of all is you don't feel like you are being passed through an assembly line method of instruction. This is a great place to learn to dance. My wife and I are so glad we decided to re-learn how to dance. Now we can actually dance with the music when we go places, instead of just watching others dance and have fun. read more

This review is for rental of the ballroom. I threw my sister a milestone birthday party (she's into swing dancing) and found the perfect setting for it in Astoria Ballroom. The dance floor is well-maintained and there is a nice bar and couch area that worked perfectly for our event. Midori coordinated the rental details with me, and she was both professional and personable. Alex gave the dance lesson for our partygoers, and they all had a great time under his instruction. Both of them were a pleasure to work with, and the dance studio is really a beautiful space - made the birthday party even more memorable! read more

Midori and Alex were wonderful helping my wife and me choreograph our first dance. They tailored the dance to our music, our skill level, and our vision for what we wanted it to look like. They were extremely friendly, caring, and fun to work with. Our dance turned out exactly as we wanted it to! read more

Many years ago, I was fortunate to have learned to dance from a superb teacher, who understood how to teach technique. Unfortunately, 1) he stopped teaching dance and is now a fireman/paramedic. 2) After that, I took lessons (group and private) from many teachers and was always disappointed. -- When I discovered Astoria Ballroom, I finally found the quality of teaching I was looking for. I've now been taking lessons from Alex and Midori for 9 months and am happy make a Yelp recommendation for Astoria Ballroom. You won't have to sign a long-term contract, and they do their best to make their students feel welcomed--no matter what your dance level. If you want the best, this is it. read more

Alex and Midori are the most generous dance teachers who share all the techniques in body movement, they are dedicated and enthusiastic in teaching, they even tailor training for each individual. I have been with them for four years and have been coming to this beautiful studio to practice every day, I enjoy my improvement and feel like living in my childhood dream as a dancer. read more

The facility is beautiful and I felt welcomed as soon as I entered the studio. I took a few group classes and learned a couple of dances, I didn't have a partner but I had so much fun! I didn't have to worry about anything during the class because the group classes were small enough for the teachers to give you more attention, so you can learn more than just steps. The teachers are very knowledgable and their private lessons are so unique compared to other studios. But never thought that dancing involved so much depth, lol! I guess that makes the dancing look amazing! Definitly worth experiencing it for sure!!! read more

We chose Astoria Ballroom to help us prepare for our first dance, and we could not have been happier with our sessions with Midori and Alex. Both are extremely kind, fun, and skilled teachers. The dance classes were moments of calm and fun in the midst of very busy wedding preparations. The studio has a great and welcoming vibe, we felt at home right away. We will be sure to return to keep honing our skills post wedding. There is a dance aerobics class we are looking forward to. Thank you, Midori and Alex! read more

When I was trying to find a place to choreograph my special dances for my wedding, I stumbled upon Alex's dance studio. My intentions going into it was just to learn where to put my hands and how to rock to a beat with my dad for our father-daughter dance and my fiance as well. I ended up with a whole routine with my fiance, and my dad and I learned how to ballroom dance. Alex is so much fun, he is an incredible teacher, so natural and easy to understand. I had such a wonderful time with my father and fiance, looking back on it, I am so grateful to have that experience with them. Also, getting to know Alex was such a treat. He runs the studio so professionally, and very accommodating to any schedule. We ended up getting my fiance's mom to take lessons with him, as well as my mom and dad together. Everyone had such a fun time, Alex teaches you in a way where you feel like you know what you're doing even if you have never danced a day in your life. With only 2 months to learn our dances, my wedding was yesterday and we did such an amazing job, everyone watching absolutely loved it and it made the hard work so worth it! I definitely recommend taking lesson here. Alex knows exactly what to do to prepare you, his improvising skills are so amazing. Plus, getting to dance with someone you love was such a special experience. read more

We took 3 lessons to prepare for our first dance at our wedding and Midori was great to work with!! We started with a consultation where she asked a lot of helpful questions that I never would have thought of (how are you doing you hair to make sure we don't have you do a move that messes it up, what style gown are you wearing to make sure to avoid choreography where your new hubby might step on it, how serious/fun/funny/romantic would you like the dance to be, etc.). She then choreographed a dance to our song that fit our needs perfectly! In just 3 lessons she was able to teach us the foundations of ballroom dancing and the choreography that she created for us. Our first dance at the wedding went awesome and we even got a compliment from a friend saying we nailed having a choreographed dance that didn't come off as cheesy and practiced! I totally agreed with her and it's all thanks to Midori and Astoria Ballroom! Thank you!! read more