My wife and I found Mandy on Groupon and contacted her a month before our wedding. I'm sure glad we did! I called her up to schedule an appointment and to ask a lot of questions about how her dance lessons are. She was very receptive to all my questions and made us feel relaxed about learning a choreographed dance routine. I would recommend bringing the same or similar shoes you'll be dancing in so you'll already know what it feels like to dance in them. Aside from that, you can wear whatever makes you feel comfortable to her dance lessons. Mandy was super flexible working with our schedule to book two lessons. She did a great job listening to our song "The Way You Look Tonight" by Kris Allen before our lesson so that she can time our choreographed dance to have an ending synchronized with the jazzy fade-away of the song. She was so kind and amazing to work with since she understands that all her students may have never danced before. She even let us film one of our dance routines (which I highly recommend) so that we watched it later on to refresh our memory of the dance steps. On our wedding night, a lot of our guests were raving about our first dance and loved that we prepped for it. We definitely didn't want to disappoint our guests by just slow dancing for two mins. They liked that we performed twirls (which aren't hard at all!), moved around the whole dance floor, and ended with a spectacular dip. Book Mandy for your wedding's first dance and you'll have tons of fun! read more

Mandy helped up nail our wedding dance! We bought a groupon for a few sessions and she helped us go from not knowing how to dance to performing a very cute dance with lifts and all on our wedding day!! Loved our dance and we had so much fun learning it with Mandy. She had great ideas and got us learning quickly. Definitely recommend! Link to our dance: https://youtu.be/sHaiQ9L8P44 read more

Can I just give Mandy 10 stars? She is honestly one of the sweetest, kindest, most genuine & patient person we've ever met. We were fortunate to have found her through Groupon to choreograph our first dance. My fiance has zero dancing history, and although I had some polynesian dancing background before, ballroom/first dance is a totally different ball game! Mandy made this SUPER easy for us. Surprisingly, in just 2 lessons we conquered our dance. First lesson consisted of basic moves, and with the second lesson a week later, she put together a beautiful and simple routine combining the moves we have learned in our first session. She incorporated all the moves I desired and even created additional graceful moves on the spot that made us love our dance even more. She also helped us trim our song (Zayn - Let Me), always made sure all our questions were answered, and reminded us to have FUN. She recorded our dance and with her voice-over directing our moves it made practicing the routine very easy. We live ~45 mins away from OC (plus more with traffic...) but we thought this was SO worth it! read more

Surf City Ballroom - Photo credit: Kevin Dinh Photography Dance credit: Mandy - Dance Studios Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Mandy is amazing! We randomly decided we wanted to take dance lessons for our wedding and got a Groupon for 2 lessons. Neither of us have any experience with dance so we were kinda nervous! Our first lesson was great and we felt super comfortable! We ended up buying additional lessons and ended up with a whole routine for our wedding! We had fun doing this and am sooo happy we found Mandy to teach us! Our dance at our wedding went perfect without any mistakes! Highly recommend! read more

My now husband and I first found Mandy on Groupon! I'm sure glad we did!! Mandy is great in spirits and just an all around amazing person to be around! We went to her a couple months before our wedding and had only a few dance lessons from her, but she was so easy to learn from and deal with that we nailed our first dance at our wedding! Everyone loved it and enjoyed! Thank you so much Mandy!! read more

Surf City Ballroom - Our first dance. - Dance Studios Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Mandy is the top dog. My husband and I were looking into dance lessons to choreograph our first dance for our wedding. We went to a few other instructors but ballroom dancing does not stick with him. I found Mandy on groupon and I had a keen sense that she was the instructor for him. The moment I met her I knew Mandy was the real deal. She knows how to read her audience and teach her students at the right pace. At the wedding our guests were blown away! Honestly, everything we learned was simple to follow, but looks so complex. I think there were a few gasps during the lift as well! I was so happy to have a dance just for us, it feels so special. The lessons leading up were nice date nights, a way to get away from wedding planning for a moment. Dancing with your partner is such an experience, much different than the dancing at clubs. There's some so romantic about it, moving as a pair together in unison, I can see why our grandparents went dancing so often. The dance studio is clean, has a nice bathroom, good lighting, great floors, open space, and big parking lot. Mandy never pushed us too far, always kept us comfortable, and made every lesson fun. Since having such a great experience with Mandy, I have decided to take group classes there weeknights. Mandy deserves a lot of respect. She has awesome rhythm and style. She can choreograph just about anything and is magnificent at ballroom. I highly suggest using Mandy - for your wedding, to learn a specific dance, or even just a fun date night. I really don't see any way you could be disappointed with the results. PS. Our first dance was a HIT!! People are still raving about our moves and swag!! read more

Mandy was an absolute gem! My fiancee' and I took a lesson with her to prepare our first dance song for our upcoming wedding. Not only was she extremely kind and helpful, but she was incredibly knowledgable about making subtle adjustments to help us understand the kinesthetics of the moves better. Neither one of us are experienced dancers, and we left after one session feeling like we can take on the world with our new dance moves! I have never left a yelp review for anything in my entire life, but this was such an awesome experience for us, we can't help but rave about her! Reach out to her! Would recommend to anyone for anything! read more

We initially found Mandy through the groupon deal for wedding dance classes. We wanted to do something fun yet doable for our first dance (esp for two people who don't have any ballroom dance experience). Mandy breaks everything down so its easy to pick up the steps. We had so much fun at the classes we purchased additional lessons with her! She is also very flexible with scheduling. And most importantly, when it came time for the big moment, my husband and I totally killed it! It is probably my favorite memory/moment of the whole night- I can't stop watching the video! And it would not have been possible without Mandy's expertise and guidance! read more

My fiancee and I were looking for a dance class for our wedding night, and didn't even have enough time to practice. I am so happy we found Mandy who patiently and kindly thought us how to prepare a nice slow dance in just two sessions, I have to say we are not good dancers. We had tons of fun in her class and did great on the wedding too. We recommend Mandy to anyone or any couple who wants to learn to dance. read more

Thank you, Mandy! She made all of our first dance fears disappear! We didn't have to be that couple who awkwardly sways back and forth for a little too long. Like most other reviewers, we found Mandy on Groupon. Scheduling a lesson was done over email. We had no previous dancing experience whatsoever and Mandy surprised us with how much we were able to learn in just two 1-hour sessions (which we started 3 weeks prior to wedding day!). We emailed Mandy our song selection and during our lessons she presented us with several options for how to move across the dance floor, various styles of spinning and lifting, and how to end the dance. Mandy is a very kind, enthusiastic, and patient instructor. You can tell she is passionate about teaching dance. She will go over all the steps repeatedly with you until you feel comfortable. Even if you misstep, she is very good about encouraging you to keep going and that most small missteps aren't even noticable to your audience. (Plus, your wedding dress will hide your feet anyway!) We really enjoyed our lessons and highly recommend Mandy for all dancing needs! P.s. Try not to be confused by the location. The address on yelp is correct even though the door to the sutdio doesn't say Surf City. It has some other ballroom name instead. But you're at the right place! read more

My husband and I found Mandy on Groupon and we couldn't be more happier with our purchase. Mandy is the most compassion, kind, and patient teacher we ever have. She was upfront with us about her hourly rate when we asked to have more section with her. She was never pushy and made us feel very comfortable during discussion. Book her and you will never be disappointed. read more

Mandy was/is INCREDIBLE! We had 2 sessions with her and at first were really skeptical about only having 2 sessions to complete our wedding dance and didn't think 2 would be enough. However Mandy is so incredible that after our first session that thought went right out the window! She's extremely patient, professional, and takes into account EVERYTHING you ask for as well as adds any experience and expertise To her lessons! Thanks to Mandy so much and please DO NOT HESITATE TO BOOK LESSONS WITH HER! Regardless of your experience read more

I found Mandy through a groupon deal for 2 classes when I realized my fiance and I had no clue how to choreograph our first dance. Mandy was so professional, encouraging, positive and gentle in her teaching style that we decided to add a few more classes to add more fancy moves. My fiance now knows how to lead and we have some really fun dance moves we can share together. I cannot recommend her enough. She has been so accommodating with scheduling and just has such a wonderful energy and personality. She perfected our first dance in 6 classes and I have said several times now that this was the best investment we've made in the wedding. Thanks again Mandy! read more

What a special dance instructor! Mandy is accessible, patient, knowledgeable and encouraging! I've taken lots of dance lessons so I'm pretty picky when it comes to dance teachers. I have yet to meet another instructor who has Mandy combination of talent and personality. She also is refreshingly organized and professional. Whatever your experience level or goals, I feel confident that you will find lessons with Surf City Ballroom rewarding. I certainly have. read more

So you think you can't dance. Or maybe your wedding is coming up, and you are dreading all the choreography you have to learn for the first dance. If so, YOU NEED TO REACH OUT TO MANDY. Seriously, look no further, Mandy is the best. My fiancé (now wife) and I came to Mandy a few weeks before our wedding, already wedding-planned out of our minds. We had our song picked out, a slow swing ballad, but we had no idea what to do in terms of style or choreography. Within the first few minutes of the first session, Mandy had given us several options and was eager to help us with whichever direction we wanted to go. By the end of our session, we had covered basics, leading techniques, spins, and even rehearsed the full song a few times. Not only is Mandy a master of ballroom dancing, its clear that she is invested in her students' progress and takes pride in helping them improve. It is rare to find a teacher this supportive and dedicated to the learning process. My wife and I had an amazing first dance, and we owe it all to Mandy! read more

Mandy is the best dance teacher of all time. We asked her to choreograph a wedding dance routine and she delivered!!! I would recommend her to anyone preparing a dance for a special event but also think it would be fun to do dance lessons with her just for fun. read more

Mandy is the absolute best. She gave us some lessons for our wedding. Please ask for her she makes it so fun. The best deal I found also.

This review has been overdue. First and foremost, Mandy was exceptional. From accommodating our schedule to walking us thru every beat to ensure that we are getting it right within the two classes. My husband (fiance last year) reached out to Mandy back in May 2019. We scheduled the first session at the beginning of June, as our wedding was set for June 29, 2019. She was attentive and listened to our vision. Although we didn't fully went with the dance she taught us; we definitely incorporated her moves into our first dance. My husband and I learned to relax and enjoyed the entire dance class together! read more

Mandy was amazing!!! If your even thinking twice about a dance lesson do it with her! We appreciate all she did and she went so far above and beyond to make sure our wedding day went amazing!!!! When we couldn't get into a studio, she made it work via zoom and it was a wonderful experience. #lovebudz4321 Drew and Zoey! read more

It was such a pleasure to meet Mandy! We worked with her for our wedding first dance. We had no background in dancing and she helped us to put together a fabulous routine! We feel super confident and proud to show off our new skills. More than that, we had a great time bonding with each other and taking dance classes together. Mandy makes the whole experience very fun and entertaining. Our lessons always fly by so quickly. She is very professional and accommodating. We really enjoyed the process. Thank you Mandy! read more

Mandy was absolutely fantastic!! My fiancé and I decided to do a choreographed routine, which included 3 styles of dance - waltz, foxtrot and Salsa! Mandy gave us some awesome dance moves and planned our entire routine for us. She is the most patient teacher coupled with energy and is such a happy spirit! She is also very flexible with timing and will work around your schedule. We truly enjoyed working with her! We give her an A+ and highly recommend her! :-) read more

Mandy made our first dance so smooooth. She's a very good instructor and without her, our first dance wouldn't have been exciting. We only did two courses and it worked out well for us. Thank you for teaching us! I'd recommend her for those wanting to add a little style to their first dance. read more

I highly recommend taking lessons from Mandy for your first wedding dance! I found Mandy through Groupon and after checking out Yelp reviews decided to try her out. I was amazed that we got through so much in two lessons. We had a basic dance that was easy to do and fun. She gave us tips and pointers and is super positive. We got lots of compliments on our dance from guests and some great pictures! We would have loved to do more lessons, but it was too hectic with it being so close to our wedding. So my advice is definitely start early because Mandy will make it fun and you will want to continue going! Thanks Mandy! read more

My fiance and I are extremely glad we booked two dance sessions with Mandy! She is a very knowledgeable, kind and passionate instructor. Until today, we had no experience and lacked confidence in dancing. Mandy taught us the basic fundamentals and explained each step in terms that made sense to us. She gave us tips on how to remember certain dance moves. Thank you Mandy! read more

Mandy was amazing! My fiancé originally bought a groupon because I expressed an interest in taking dance lessons together. After the first 2 lessons included in the groupon, we decided to go ahead and continue with her as she choreographed the first dance at our wedding which was 2 weeks ago. We really can't say enough about how extremely patient and sweet Mandy is. Neither of us had ever really danced before and she was very accommodating in changing things if something didn't feel right or adding things as we progressed. She gave excellent tips if we were struggling with something which immediately seemed to help. She was also very flexible with scheduling our lessons. We both were impressed and highly recommend her! Thank you Mandy! Kim & John :) read more

Met with Mandy for two sessions prior to our wedding. She was awesome! Turned two uncoordinated non-dancers into confident for the big day in no time. Great attitude, super friendly and great teaching approach. Would highly recommend read more

Mandy was super awesome!! Me and my now husband didn't know a thing about dancing, but Mandy made it so easy for us. She is super friendly and accommodating. She made us feel very comfortable during our dance sessions. Everyone loved our dance. It was simple but special. So glad we found her. read more

We hired Mandy to help us prepare our First Dance for our wedding. My husband is an inexperienced dancer, and just one lesson with Mandy made his confidence soar! She is so nice, warm, and encouraging, and her style of teaching is very easy to understand. She is professional, knowledgable, and thoughtful, and can make adjustments as needed. On our wedding day our first dance went off without a hitch, thanks to Mandy. We are talking about going back for more lessons with her since we had such a great experience. We love Mandy! read more

Thank you Mandy for your help learning our wedding dance. You did a great job! Looking forward to join some of your group lessons :-)

We had lessons with Mandy at surf city ballroom to prepare for our first wedding dance. She is a wonderful instructor who choreographed our dance and taught us the steps in less than a month. The facility is also very nice with dancers of all skill levels practicing. Highly recommend!! read more

Mandy is a wonderful instructor, always full of energy and encouragement. She provides a fun learning environment and is very knowledgeable.

My fiancé and I had so much fun taking dance lessons with Mandy before our wedding! We did not give her much to work with as neither of us have any experience and we had no clue what we wanted to do for our first dance. She was so great in teaching us the basics, giving a few options to choose from and then putting it all together for us! By our 2nd lesson we had a beautiful routine for our first dance. Mandy makes it so comfortable, easy and of course so much fun along the way! We could not have asked for a better experience! I definitely recommend taking lessons with Mandy before your big day! read more

We highly recommend dance lessons with Mandy. We took lessons with her for our first dance at our wedding and it turned out amazing.

We found Mandy on Groupon when my fiancé and I were looking for dance lessons for our first dance at our upcoming wedding. Mandy was so amazing and taught us step by step instructions for a fun yet beginner level routine for our first dance next week :) She made this process very easy for us non dancers and extremely enjoyable with her great personality as well! We would highly highly recommend Mandy to anyone!!! We can't wait to perform our dance next weekend and tell Mandy all about it! read more

At the eleventh hour (actually 11 days before our wedding) we decided to take dance lessons so our first dance wouldn't involve us awkwardly swaying while our family and closest friends just stared at us! We are so grateful to have found Mandy through the great reviews on yelp. She was quick to reply and accommodated our busy schedules before the wedding. We thought we'd learn a few dance moves and be done, but Mandy went the extra mile and helped us come up with a short dance routine, even with a dip at the end! She's patient, positive, provides clear direction, makes it fun, and all around a wonderful dance instructor. Thanks Mandy for all your help! read more

Mandy was so amazing with us! She was so patient and supportive and kind! We are so excited to show off our wedding dance that Mandy choreographed and it will be a treasure we have for a lifetime. Thank you Mandy!!! read more

My husband and I had no experience at dancing and was seeking classes for our wedding first dance. We had Mandy as our instructor and she was great! We booked two private lessons with Mandy. She was very patient, encouraging and instructed us step by step. The whole process was very fun and smooth even for first timers like us. Mandy was nice enough to plan out the whole song with easy yet fancy moves/choreography. I would highly recommend Surf City Ballroom to anyone who's interested on learning their first dance or to improve their dance skills. read more

Mandy was great! She helped put together our first dance and made it creative but still something that our skill sets could manage. She was incredibly flexible with our schedules, was a lot of fun and would highly recommend! read more

Mandy was so amazing! My fiancée and I took her wedding dance lessons, and we feel so confident for our first dance. She made it easy, fun, and was always positive. I will be recommending her to all of my friends and family. Thank you Mandy! read more

Mandy is the best! My fiancé and I signed up for dance lessons for our wedding to create a routine for our first dance. Before we went, we were really nervous if we would be able to actually dance because we didn't have much experience. Mandy change all of that! She had patience and her guidance was great. Thanks to her my husband and I had the most amazing first dance at our wedding and our guest were more then impressed. I would highly recommend to make an appoint with Mandy if you looking for help. read more