I'm incredibly awkward about dancing in front of other people, but Katie makes you feel completely at ease! We were definitely beginners, but she walked us through a very personalized first dance step by step until we felt completely ready for our wedding day. She's great at communication, very flexible and willing to work with your schedule, and above all, funny and kind. Everyone cheered like crazy for my wife and I during our first dance, and I think I rewatched the video of it 100 times! If you want a first dance that you can feel proud of and that is completely tailored to your and your spouse, this is the place you should go. This was one of the most fun parts about planing our wedding, and we will remember it fondly for a very long time to come! read more

Couldn't have been more pleased with our classes. We procrastinated (I know, lol) on learning a first dance for our wedding, and with just less than 1.5 months to go until the big day, it's safe to say we needed help. Katie did a great job in helping us book our "emergency" dance sessions and really listened to what we wanted out of a first dance. She gave us great advice, tips and made us really look like we knew what we were doing. Couldn't recommend this service enough! read more

We had the best experience with Katie and The First Dance Place. Taking dance lessons ended up being one of the most fun parts of our wedding planning--it honestly felt like weekly date night. Katie is so warm, fun, and chill, and from the first lesson we felt completely comfortable with her. She made learning to dance feel easy and exciting (even for people with zero experience), and every session was something we genuinely looked forward to. By the time our wedding came around, we felt confident, present, and actually able to enjoy the moment instead of stressing about the steps. The dance turned out beautifully, and it was so special to share that together. I'm genuinely sad it's over--but it was 100% worth it and something I'd recommend to every couple. If you're on the fence, do it. You won't regret it. read more

The First Dance Place - Dance - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

I cannot recommend Katie enough! We wanted to do a fun first dance for our wedding and she made us look like professionals by the end of our lessons. Each lesson was so fun and the perfect date night activity, romantic, fun and you learn a new skill you can break out at any future events with a dance floor! Plus the studio is near a ton of restaurants and bars you can hit up after your lesson. We got so many compliments on our dance at our wedding, people could not stop telling us they were so impressed and kept asking how we learned to dance like that! It's all Katie! We hope to be back in the future but just book the lessons it's so worth it. read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

Choosing The First Dance Place was EASILY one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! When we came to Katie, we had a very ambitious song and a couple home practice sessions under our belt, all of which amounted to a do-si-do and a loose hope that *maybe* our dance would turn out okay. (Spoiler: without Katie, this never would have been possible!) Katie excitedly took all of our ideas and broke down seemingly complicated dance patterns into an easily digestible format that we could practice and repeat! We learned dips, spins, and found ourselves laughing and having so much fun with each and every class. The sessions quickly turned into date nights and we both agreed that our classes and home practice sessions were the most fun and rewarding part of the wedding planning process! Fast forward to the big day, and we NAILED IT! We had practiced in our venue during rehearsal and thanks to Katie's planning and cue tips during our classes, we were easily able to repeat all the right moves and orient ourselves in the venue. We had only told a select few friends and family that we had been taking dance classes, so when the moment for our first dance arrived - everyone erupted in cheers and IT WAS A BLAST. Katie anticipated that all our guests would clap along to the beat and when they did - I remember just laughing and smiling all through our dance. We ended our first dance on a high (obviously), but also found ourselves so easily dancing and falling into patterns with each other on the dance floor that we hadn't found previously. It only took those 8 sessions with Katie and we found a confidence and ease on the dance floor that will always stick with us and grow. This is a memory that we will hold forever. Katie is the kindest and most easy going human being and will make you feel that you're capable of anything (and any dance)! We'll continue to dance to our song for many years to come and we will always think fondly of Katie and TFDP every time we do. If you're even remotely on the fence about booking these dance classes, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO DO IT! Take an introductory class and go from there, I guarantee it will be an easy yes and a memory that you'll have forever. read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

My fiancé and I took first dance lessons with Katie at The First Dance Place, and we truly cannot rave about her enough. We came in as total beginners with a fast-paced song ("Sway" by Michael Bublé) and a lot of nerves, but Katie instantly put us at ease. She's warm, fun, incredibly talented, and knows exactly how to bring out the best in you. Katie not only choreographed a dance that hit every beat perfectly, but she even remixed our song to add more drama and make the performance feel so us. She broke everything down step-by-step, made each session enjoyable, and somehow turned two non-dancers into a couple who actually looked like we knew what we were doing! Our wedding was months ago, and people still tell us it was the best first dance they've ever seen. That is 100% thanks to Katie. If you're on the fence, just book the class! read more

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My husband and I worked with Katie for our first dance, and we truly could not have asked for a better experience. From the very first lesson, she made us feel comfortable, confident, and most importantly, like we were actually good dancers! We came in with zero experience and a lot of nerves, but her teaching style is warm, patient, and incredibly encouraging. She choreographed a routine that felt perfectly "us", elegant without being over the top, and simple enough that we never felt overwhelmed. She broke everything down into manageable steps, celebrated every tiny improvement, and somehow made each lesson feel like a date night rather than a rehearsal. By the time our wedding arrived, we felt completely prepared, and our first dance ended up being one of our favorite moments of the entire day. If you're looking for someone who is talented, professional, and genuinely invested in helping you shine on your big day, go with Katie at The First Dance Place, you will be so glad you did! read more

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We had SO much fun learning how to dance for our wedding! Wedding planning can be stressful but honestly everytime we went to a dance class it reminds us to slow down and remember why we are doing this!!! I want to take dance lessons again just for fun! read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had an awesome experience working with Katie at The First Dance Place! I have zero dance experience and am extremely timid especially when it comes to being in front of a lot of people. She came up with a routine for us that was simple enough for me to learn but had enough pizazz to impress our friends and family. We had an amazing first dance on our wedding night and couldn't be happier with the outcome, thank you Katie!! read more

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We would recommend Katie & The first dance place for anyone who is looking for a special first dance! We had absolutely no idea what we were doing and are not the most coordinated couple, but thanks to our 10 pack of lessons with Katie she made us look like we knew what we were doing on the big day!! we brought our dog with us. We definitely made it interesting during our lessons, but even more memorable! The space that she host the lessons is in a perfect size studio, and her energy is so chill and welcoming that it makes learning something new seem fun and easy! We absolutely loved Katie & know you will too! Come as you are and Katie will do the rest! read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

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Katie was amazing and made our first dance experience so fun and completely stress-free. We came in knowing absolutely nothing about dancing, and she somehow turned that into lessons we actually looked forward to every time, lots of laughing included. She explained everything in a way that felt easy and encouraging, and helped us create a first dance that felt natural, confident, and totally us. read more

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Katie really made me and my husband look good on our wedding night. We aren't really dancers but Katie was able to put a cute and manageable routine together for us. I would absolutely recommend! The effort is a nice surprise for your guests. read more

My husband and I did an emergency dance lesson before our wedding and killed it on our wedding day. Not only did it help us knock it out of the park for our first dance, but the lesson itself was really fun. Katie was awesome! read more

We highly recommend couples to take their first dance lessons with Katie. Our lessons with her were one of the best investments from our wedding budget and we had a great time leading up to our special day. Every dance lesson with Katie ended up being a mini date night for us. When my then fiancé and I started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted a dance that felt authentic to us and would wow our guests. My now husband and I are so grateful that Katie at The First Dance Place made our first dance dreams come true and more. We danced to "Perfect Symphony" by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli, which mixed into "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. We had no prior experience with dancing, except a few times at the club, so we were truly newbies. Initially I stressed out a lot about making it perfect, but Katie made the lessons fun and helped me get out of my shell! My husband always had a blast too. She not only helped us nail our choreography, but also helped us fine tune small details so we looked confident and had great posture all throughout. Looking at our videos from our first lesson to the last, my husband and I are so proud of what Katie was able to help us achieve. One thing we want to highlight is Katie's "art of the possible" mentality. I would share dance moves from video clips and Katie always had the mindset of, "Yeah, you can do it! Let's try it!" Because of her exceptional teaching skills and positive mindset, we were able to incorporate dance moves that we're both very proud of. :) We also have a senior beagle and Katie always welcomed our furry old boy. It made dance lessons less stressful knowing that we could bring our dog in. Katie is professional, fun, and an amazing dance instructor. Thank you so much for everything, Katie!! read more

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Highly Recommend Katie & The First Dance Place! We can't recommend Katie enough for choreographing our first wedding dance! Working with her was truly worth every penny--she not only helped us look like we knew exactly what we were doing, but also made the entire experience relaxed and fun. As a queer couple, my wife and I wanted to find a dance instructor who was not only accepting but also experienced in working with two brides dancing together. We initially chose Katie at The First Dance Place because of their amazing reviews, and we are so glad we took the leap and booked a lesson package with her. I was especially nervous about our first dance since all eyes would be on us--and while my wife has all the dance moves, I have two left feet! Katie immediately put us at ease. She is warm, friendly, and genuinely takes the time to get to know you as a couple. She choreographed a beautiful routine perfectly suited to the song we chose and our comfort level. What made the experience so wonderful was Katie's patience and teaching style. She broke everything down into manageable steps, gave us plenty of time to practice, and even demonstrated each move for us (sometimes stepping in as our partner). With her guidance, what once felt intimidating became something we actually looked forward to. Thanks to Katie, our first wedding dance turned out beautifully. It's now one of my favorite memories from our wedding day--an unforgettable, magical moment that we'll cherish forever. If you're looking for someone to make your wedding dance both stress-free and special, I highly recommend Katie and The First Dance Place! read more

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Katie was awesome to work with for our wedding dance! She was easy going, positive, and understood right away the simple but elegant vibe we were aiming for with our dance. Would highly recommend doing this, added a little sparkle to our wedding night and we had a lot of fun in the process. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our lessons with Katie at the First Dance Place, and would recommend it to any couple looking to connect and learn new skills during the wedding-planning process while also taking your first dance to the next level. I had no prior dancing experience prior to our lessons but Katie was a great teacher, who helped us craft and perfect our own first dances for two different wedding celebrations. Katie made it easy not only to learn the choreography but also to have fun with my fiancé. By the end of our time together my now-wife and I were both looking forward to our time in the studio! It became a monthly pre-wedding date night we shared together, and we were able to put together some great dances! People continue to tell us how wowed they were by our dances!! We are very happy with our decision to work with Katie & the First Dance Place! read more

Katie is AWESOME! She took the stress of preparing a first dance away and made rehearsing for the big day easy and fun. Because of Katie, I felt confident and my wife was happy! I highly recommend hiring Katie and The First Dance Place to prepare for your wedding, you'll be so glad you did! read more

The First Dance Place with Katie was truly the best part of wedding planning! It was such a fun time away from the stress and the details. My husband and I were able to just enjoy the time together and experience something new. The dance was a hit among our guests and so much fun to show our hard work. We loved our time with Katie!! read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

Katie at The First Dance Place was the best dance instructor ever! My now husband and I took two lessons with her and were so impressed by all we learned from her and how much fun we had while doing it. Katie has such a kind relaxed energy she made creating and learning the dance fun and easeful even though I was nervous and am horribly uncoordinated. She is so encouraging and good at breaking things down step by step we were able to learn our dance pretty fast. Our dance went flawlessly at our wedding and got a lot of cheers from the crowd. Can't recommend Katie enough! read more

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We could not recommend Katie or First Dance place more highly. As a queer couple, finding a dance instructor who had experience working with queer couples and in the industry was key, and Katie more than delivered on both. From the moment we took our first lesson, Katie made us feel at home and we knew we'd found an incredible teacher and choreographer. Over 5 months and eleven 1:1 lessons, Katie choreographed and taught us said choreo to our 3:30 min three song first dance (not a small feat). Our first dance was certainly a highlight of our wedding festivities, and many people came up to us telling us that this was the best first dance they've ever seen. Invest in yourselves and your wedding and hire Katie; you won't regret it! read more

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Katie was thoughtful, courteous and patient throughout the process. We were excited to attend each appointment and made an evening out of it each time. Thank you! read more

Our dance class was so fun with Katie. We ended up picking two songs for our first dance and she choreographed a great little number for both songs. Ended up with a beautiful dance that people really loved to watch. She was able to incorporate my wife's good dance moves with my intermediate style. Super fun with bars nearby to hangout before our after. Our friends booked her the next day for their wedding! read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

We absolutely loved our dance lessons with Katie! We came in wanting to learn some basic moves for our wedding first dance, and she made the entire experience fun, relaxed, and genuinely enjoyable. Katie is incredibly patient and friendly, and she created an environment where we felt completely comfortable - no embarrassment about being beginners, just excitement to learn. She's a fantastic coach. The way she offered corrections, demonstrated steps, and guided us through each part of the dance felt natural, encouraging, and easy to follow. One of our favorite parts was that she had us record our progress during lessons; we watched those videos the night before our wedding for a final practice, and they helped so much! We're so grateful for the confidence she gave us before our big day. Highly recommend! And, we would absolutely love to keep learning with Katie. Our lessons became such a fun couples activity! read more

My husband and I are not dancers, so we were pretty nervous about learning our first dance. From the very first lesson, Katie made us feel so comfortable and confident. She broke everything down in a way that was easy to follow, fun, and stress-free. When the moment came, our dance went perfectly and everyone was blown away! We couldn't have asked for a better teacher or experience. Highly recommend The First Dance Place to any couple looking to feel at ease on their big day. read more

Katie helped us with our first dance for our wedding and she was great! We did a mash up of two songs and we had some great dance moves. She listened to what I wanted and came up with a perfect routine! I highly recommend her and The First Dance Place! read more

Working with Katie at The First Dance Place was such an amazing experience for my wife and me. Katie made the lessons so fun and enjoyable. We absolutely crushed our first dance at our wedding. I highly recommend working with her! read more

Katie was an outstanding teacher for my husband and I's first dance! We had so much fun coming up with ideas of what to do, as we wanted to dance to not one but two songs! Katie is super knowledgeable and an expert at her craft but also can teach you in a comforting, non judgmental way. There was plenty of times where my husband or I forgot one step, but because of Katie's demeanor, we were able to laugh and smile through it all instead of being stressed. She also recorded every dance session so we could see what we were doing right and what we needed to work on. By the time the big day came, we nailed every step of our dance and our guests were so impressed!! Despite never having taken any dance lessons before, my husband and I had a blast during the process and it was all because of Katie. Thank you to Katie and the First Dance team!! read more

We loved the experience! Our wedding first dance lessons were fun, stress-free, and so special. Katie made us feel comfortable and confident, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

We decided at the last minute to book three lessons with Katie at The First Dance Place prior to our wedding and couldn't be happier with the decision. Katie was a ton of fun to work with and helped us quickly get comfortable with choreography for our first dance. Knowing what we were going to do when we hit the floor on our wedding day took a lot of pressure off and helped us just have a good time. Definitely recommend for wedding needs, or just a fun date night! read more

Our experience at The First Dance Place was excellent! My fiancée grew up with a dance background, so I was a little apprehensive to take lessons. From our very first lesson, Katie was so easy to work with and make me feel very comfortable. We wanted something more than the "middle school swaying", but nothing too flashy. Katie listened to our ideas and came up with something we loved. We decided on a mashup of two different songs with very different tempos, but it all worked out seamlessly. She even created the mashup for us, so all we had to do was give her version to our DJ! She is great at giving feedback and corrections and made us both feel like we were getting something unique to us. By our last lesson, I was feeling pretty confident, and our first dance went perfectly! HIGHLY recommend this place! read more

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I can't say enough good things about Katie and The First Dance Place team. From our first communication to our last class, everyone was helpful and supportive. Katie is amazing with beginners; she's calm, communicates well, and met us where we were at. I was amazed with how much more confident I felt about our first dance after our first class and did not think we would end up doing a lift but her small step approach made a world of difference and our dance went off without a hitch. Our dance lessons ended up being an absolute highlight of our wedding planning process and if you are on the fence, I hope this review pushes you to take lessons with Katie - it's well worth it and we'll be back for a date night class in the future :) read more

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We had such a wonderful experience in our dance class with Katie! We didn't really think about the first dance until the last minute, and were definitely not hung up on doing an advanced, fully choreographed dance, but also didn't want to just stand up there looking like idiots - so we decided on a one class crash course. And it was exactly what we needed! We got the basics plus 3 main moves that we were able to repeat a few times. It was just enough to feel infinitely more comfortable up there and get quite a few "wooo"s from the crowd. We even taught our parents what we learned to make them more comfortable with the parents dance. If you want a more choreographed dance and have more time than we did, I would definitely suggest doing a whole class package and not just one class. But for us, it was perfect :) Plus - it was just an incredibly fun experience! Lovely little date night and Katie is so kind and so wonderful at explaining things! Highly recommend! read more

We had the pleasure of working with Katie for our wedding first dance, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From the moment we walked into the studio, she instantly made us feel comfortable and she made the process incredibly fun and easy. Her teaching style was both encouraging and patient, breaking down each step into manageable parts and giving very clear instructions. She tailored the choreography to suit our level and what we wanted so we felt confident on the dance floor. Thanks to Katie, we not only had a beautiful first dance on our wedding day but we also found a love for dancing together which I never expected from my husband! I can't recommend her enough to anyone looking for a skilled, supportive, and fun dance teacher. read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

I cannot say enough amazing things about Katie and The First Dance Place! We discovered Katie when we started researching for dance lessons for our wedding. I reached out to Katie letting her know what we were looking for, and she quickly got back to us with information and letting us know how the process worked. We decided to start with 1 intro lesson and loved Katie's energy and teaching style so went forward with monthly dance lessons. There are flexible options as far as buying lessons/packages and scheduling lessons was always easy! When we first met, I told Katie my background of performing in gymnastics, dance, and cheer, and that my husband had no dance experience but was ready to learn. I shared with her how much I loved Dancing with the Stars and that I wanted an exciting first dance but also something we could actually pull off and would fit our skill level. Katie did an incredible job not only teaching us how to dance, but choreographing a fun, romantic, and crowd pleasing first dance for us! Katie is the best dance teacher as she is fun, patient, great at teaching people with different levels of dance experience, and tailors lessons/choreography to the couple. It is so obvious how much she loves dance, her job, and working with different couples. Our dance lessons became a super fun date night that we always looked forward to, and we could not believe how fast our lessons flew by. Katie became our friend throughout the process and we already miss seeing her and our dance lessons so much! Our first dance at our wedding was absolute perfection. My husband and I both received so many compliments on our first dance choreography and lifts. Most importantly, my husband and I had the time of our lives on the dance floor, and the feeling and emotions we experienced performing our first dance is something we will never forget. Thank you Katie for choreographing the first dance of my dreams and giving me and my husband our very own DWTS moment. We HIGHLY recommend Katie and the First Dance Place for any couple looking to learn how to dance and to have fun during the process! read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

Katie was amazing! Our dance lessons were fun and she was so great at adapting to what we wanted for our first dance. She taught us dips, a lift, and seamless ways to transition between moves. We got so many compliments on our dance! read more

The First Dance Place - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I did 5 dance lessons with Katie for our first dance. We really enjoyed our lessons. With each lesson, she added on a new move which helped us build up our confidence. And the choreography was perfect. We had so many friends and family come up to us after the dance telling us it was the best first dance they'd seen. It was not overly complicated but it had twists, turns dips and even a lift which I was reluctant to try but was so glad we did. Thank you Katie! read more

Katie was an incredible teacher for our first dance! Went in with minimal confidence in my first dancing skills but left with more than a few easy to pull off moves and some choreography that made us shine on our wedding night. Would absolutely recommend making the investment and working with The First Dance Place!! read more

When my fiance, now husband, and I booked our venue, Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estate in Palm Springs, we knew we needed a show-stopper dance to start things off right at our wedding. Once we reached out to The First Dance Place, Katie responded quickly. We found the pricing to be more than reasonable and picked a package of eight private lessons. Merabel at the front desk gave us so many options for session times and dates, which helped, as we are very busy professionals. Katie is outstanding! She is patient, kind, funny, and so talented. She could see our strengths and weaknesses and created a brilliant routine for us. Honestly, we cannot recommend Katie enough! She is an absolute all-star. read more

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Katie is an excellent instructor. Extremely patient, accommodating, and has a calm energy that made the experience fun and relaxing every session. She will meet you where you are as a couple, and you'll be happy with the dance she creates for you! Dallas & Rachel read more