This is my daughter's second season at West Coast. We are so incredibly glad we made the switch…read more The environment is so welcoming. Which is difficult to find in competitive dance. The families welcomed us in with open arms, the dancers support each other and the teachers support each other. I believe this starts from the top down with the ownership and management. Paula is extremely hands on with the teachers, students and families. And it shows. She doesn't care just about their dancing but cares about their character as an individual. The quality of the teaching staff is exceptional; with the primary focus on technique. But they continue to grow and expand their teaching and choreography styles.They treat the kids as the individuals they are and unify them as a team as well. In the current COVID-19 environment everything has been moved online. The entire staff has been energetic and motivating. They have provided a sense of stability in an unstable environment for our kids. Every week the teachers take time with each kid just to check in and see how they are doing. If you want a positive, creative and safe environment for your child to experience dance than I would recommend West Coast.

Our daughter has been a part of the West Coast family for the past 7 years and it has meant so much…read moremore than dance to our family! The culture at WC is amazing. The dancers support and encourage each other and the parents are kind and helpful. These are competitive dancers who strive for excellence but never at the cost of character or class. The tone is set from the leadership of Miss Paula who runs the studio like a in impressive CEO that can also wear the hat of mentor, artist, and friend. I am constantly blown away by the talent and reach of the staff who is well rounded on style, technique, and has a proven track record of developing dancers to the highest levels. They take an interest in the dancers personally and have created a community our whole family enjoys being a part of. They way that the business pivoted during the Covid-19 shutdown is remarkable! They quickly acclimated to virtual while keeping the positive attitude and commitment to excellence we've come to expect from them. When we first started at WC I would not have imagined that dance would become such a high value for us, but because of our West Coast experience it is something we eagerly remain connected to and proud to be a part of! I could go on and on about the costumes, the wins, the opportunities, the conditioning that keeps the dancers safe, the communication, etc...Even my sons have taken classes and loved it! I would give them 100 stars if I could!

AfterHours is an uplifting community environment for adult dancers. With a range of levels from…read moreintroductory basics to advanced, and many styles and instructors to choose from, you will find a teacher for you. As with any group class, give yourself some space to try a few different teachers until you find the one(s) you enjoy the most! The owner, Shawn, and desk staff are friendly and helpful; always happy to answer questions about levels, styles, and instructors. My go to is Arianna Hyatt. She teaches well rounded true to level classes (read the class description and know thyself). She motivates and encourages dancers to meet their goals, whether that is fun, fitness, training for an audition, getting back to dance after a hiatus, or perhaps all of the above. She provides a supportive environment while offering technique, structure, and a little challenge - if that is what you're after. The community she's cultivated within every class is palpable. If you're a beginning/intermediate or advanced level dancer, looking for ballet, broadway, or tap, definitely check the schedule for her. (Double check the level as she teaches a variety.) If you're on the fence, I'd say find any class that interests you at the studio and give it a try!

Long story short: I had an indescribably unpleasant and discouraging experience at the beg/int tap…read moreclass with Arianna. She was not welcoming, was late to the class, and did not give me the chance to even try tapping before she completely ignored me for the entire class session. Long story long: I've had dance training with Broadway choreographers and performers (just not in tap), and never would they be so unprofessional and rude to a newer dancer. This was my first time trying Afterhours, I had gone with a friend (with prior tap experience and classes taken at this studio) and we booked two classes, back to back. Beg/int Broadway Jazz class straight into beg/int tap. Arianna, who instructed both classes this night, arrived late and complained about the studio space we were in. Yikes. Not a great first impression as a new dancer at this studio. After this class, I put my tap shoes on and my friend quickly walked me through some basics of tap. Just with a side-eye from the corner of the room, she came up to me and said "this is not the space for you, I will go get you your money back before you take this class. I will let you stay, but this is not the class for you." Understandable, but after SO GRACIOUSLY!!!! allowing me be in the room with only 5 other dancers, she ignored me the entire class, despite me catching onto and being able to pick up what she was teaching. She had condescendingly recommended another instructor at the studio, but with a tone as if the instructor was subordinate to her. The most frustrating part was that she was very slowly and deliberately helping another dancer in the room, who was also a beginner. It was rude to me and not conducive to a welcoming environment for growing artistry, whether I was refunded or not. I spoke with Shawn after the class and she mentioned knowing that Arianna is short with her words and they had a similar situation with another dancer last week. If you knew this hostile behavior is happening at your studio, how could you let that continue? She also gave an excuse of a disclaimer being on the description of the class. 1) it was hard to find 2) even if someone has/hasn't "mastered" a certain level of dance, why are you fully shutting someone out of your learning space? It is apparent in the class attendance the success, or lack of, rather, at this studio. I truly hope that no other dancer experiences what I did at Afterhours, and that this behavior from any instructor is corrected. I was given my money back and a free pass for another class at the studio, but I honestly do not trust either of those ladies that I dealt with at the establishment to recommend me any other class there.

I have long dreamt of the days I would have a daughter and be able to introduce her into the world…read moreof dance. If you share this passion and longing, Avanti is the place for you. Avanti has space for anyone. Embodying inclusivity, creativity, education, and plenty of fun, this dance studio feels like a place my daughter will grow to call a second home. She has so much love for her teachers Taryn and Shanny, and she absolutely feels the love back. Not only are they so positively supportive, but warm, inspiring, and passionate... and it shows. We love Avanti!

We've been attending the Parent & Me dance classes with my (very) young daughter for the past two…read moremonths and I feel like I can finally share! My daughter literally runs into the classroom as soon as we enter the studio and squeals with excitement throughout the class. She doesn't always follow instructions, but the teacher and her assistant are always so sweet and gentle with her. Each class is planned with fun, unique activities but carefully designed with skill building in mind. I am so grateful to have found this place! We've explored many free trial classes at gymnastics centers and other dance classes all over Orange County and really nothing has compared to this class and the patience and kindness of the teachers here. I can't wait for my daughter to continue her dance career :)

I love the service and the environment here really makes you feel welcome and comfortableread more

I've been looking for a new place for my daughter since Covid and we decided to try out this spot…read more The dance teacher was so sweet with the girls, patient and even with a mask you could tell how happy she is with the girls. She was teaching technique along with some fun dance parties for the girls (age 6). Just know that currently only one parent per class is allowed in and the girls need to wear masks but thankful they are open! Such a sweet little dance studio.

We went to the Atomic ballroom as a triple date, and took one of their beginner ballroom dance…read moreclasses. We were welcomed by one of the long term instructors as we waited who was very friendly. During the class, our teacher was kind and walked us through the steps with ease. They had social dancing after the class and while the rest of our group left, my husband was willing to stay and try it out. Their ballroom social dances call out the appropriate style for each song, but we really only knew one or two. Our instructor was so kind to come over to us multiple times to give us some help learning the basic step for an additional 2-3 styles so we could get out on the dance floor more times! We don't live super close but I'm looking forward to returning when we get a chance.

This review is long overdue! My husband brother in law and a friend of ours all tried the bachata…read moreclass and we had the absolute best time! I forced everyone to go at first but at the end they were all loving it! The instructor was very friendly and patient and everyone participating was too! They had us switch up partners every couple minutes which I was hesitant at first because bachata can be an intimate dance, but everyone was professional and we had the best time!

We love ODA! My daughter has been dancing here for a few years now and it is always her favorite…read morepart of her week. There is a lot of dance classes to choose from and the teachers and staff are so kind and easy going. They are wonderful teachers and it's been amazing to watch my daughter's dance skills grow each year. ODA puts on 2 beautiful, high quality, recitals a year and they offer week long themed summer camps. We feel lucky to be a part of the ODA family and look forward to many more years of dancing with them.

Odyssey Dance Academy has been a wonderful experience for our daughter and as a parent. The class…read moresizes are small, the teachers get to know each student individually, they are building confidence, having fun and becoming great dancers! I recommend this studio at any age!

Kai is a wonderful person and great dance instructor. He breaks everything down into easy to learn…read more parts. Moves look great when you put it all together!

Best dance lessons ever with Kai as the most energetic, enthusiastic and positive teacher. Our…read moreentire private group had a wonderful time and can't say enough good things about Kai as an instructor!

Dance arts of OC is a great studio for adult ballet. First off, it's a great value class with…read moreclasses spanning 1.5 hours. The 9am (schedule may change) beginning ballet is best for those with prior ballet experience with adults of all ages and skill levels. For those with little to no experience, the Intro to ballet class is ideal. I have taken the classes of many teachers here and they are all fantastic. Joan especially is passionate and helps guide technique and has great attention to detail. I'm also grateful for Sara and Janessa. Hair and clothing is quite flexible. I choose to wear workout leggings and a form fitting top, and ballet class shoes (canvas or leather). Many wear classic tights and leotard, so it is a great place if you want to lean in to ballet wear (though not necessary). If you want a great ballet style bar workout class, called Ballet Barre Conditioning, Joan teaches a great one, ballet experience not needed, though some dancers take this class for strength. I believe socks are worn in this class. If you are visiting for the first time, arrive 10-15 minutes early to fill out the introduction form/waiver, pay, and to potentially speak to a teacher to ask questions or introduce yourself. It is quite easy to drop in and sign yourself in by the studio door.

This studio and its owner and teachers deliver on exactly what they offer. My daughter drops in…read morefor extra classes during the daytime to work on her technique in ballet and pointe, and she says she gets a great, hard class with good corrections every time. She takes the intermediate/advanced ballet, pointe and pilates classes whenever she can, and the training is great. The facility is clean, comfortable and provides everything needed for a great class. Even though she doesn't love zoom classes, my daughter has taken them from Gina to help keep her "on her toes" during the pandemic, and even on zoom, the classes are challenging. She seems to cater to serious dance students, retired and current professional dancers, and anyone looking for a great class. Overall, very positive experiences for us with this studio.