Loved the studio! Great instructors. After years of putting off dance I finally decided to take a class. Best thing I've done! The entire staff is great. I had the privilege to have Elly as an instructor. She is a awesome! Highly recommend her private lessons and definitely join in on the group classes. I wish I started years ago. read more

Their teacher Briana Gibson is the rudest and most arrogant person I have ever met in my life. I sponsored her for a harbor excursion and I went on vacation. In my absence I tried to substitute a friend who danced with Briana and was turned off so much by her arrogance that he refused to take my place. She asked me please to go when I was going to come back from my vacation. So I cut my vacation short by two days to escort her. She didn't even have the common courtesy and the common respect to sit next to me, read more

Wonderful staff and friendly environment! My boyfriend and I came here for some dance lessons. They have social classes every night and I believe they have dance parties every Friday night. If you're looking for a great environment to learn ballroom dancing with a fun and excitable team, this is the place to go! :) And you best believe me when I say that we will be back as soon as possible for more! read more

I've been taking classes for about a year now, and every time I walk in I feel the same energy and passion for dance radiating off the staff. I've learned 8 different routines for completely different types of dances and I also learned the basics for almost every type of ballroom dance there is. The staff is amazing. Group classes are a lot of fun. It's an overall great experience! read more

We got a Groupon for two people, two lessons. I called ahead to make an appointment and they got me in right away, with the lessons back to back. The location was easy to find and they welcomed us in as we hesitated outside the studio. Everyone was very friendly and we were offered water and coffee immediately. We sat down and filled out a short questionnaire asking about past dance experience and our expectations for the lesson. We were given a short tour of the studio and what/who they teach. We were complete beginners so the lesson consisted of the five basic dance steps we would start out with, and then instruction on how to do some basic dances, i.e. the waltz, cha-cha, swing, etc. The instructor was extremely patient and professional as well as encouraging. My only suggestion, which would be a personal preference, is that there was more verbal instruction to accompany the visual instructions. I feel like telling me, your right foot will step over your left foot twice, etc (just an example) would have helped me quite a bit. There definitely was thorough instruction, including some examples of the verbal, but more overall would have been useful in getting the entire thing together in my head. :D After the class, they sat me and my husband down and went over what we had learned, and where lessons could help us improve. We had to explain that we really didn't have time in our schedules right now to continue lessons (it would be $99 for two additional private lessons and unlimited group lessons/parties for a month). They thanked us and away we danced into the night. Overall it was a good experience and gave us both a good overview of some of the dances we could improve on. A very good Groupon deal as well. read more

Before my husband and I got married, we took several private dance lessons here for our wedding reception. Diane did a very great job training us. She was very sweet and patient. She made the steps very easy to follow. We also took a group lesson here which went over the basics. I recommend this place to anyone who is getting marry and want to take some private lesson for their first dance. read more

Great place, very welcoming group. I just started and was warmly welcomed into the group. My new teacher Elli is very good and patient. I am a beginner and its so great to see peope who care, take extra time and enjoy their art. Nice work! read more

I came to Fred Astaire because I bought a daily deal for two private lessons and a group lesson for really cheap. Four stars with a voucher, three stars probably if I didn't have one because of the price. My girlfriend and I did private lessons back-to-back days learning the basics for the tango and salsa. No experience is necessary and you can start from the absolute basics. The teachers are all very nice and the atmosphere feels comfortable. I am unsure if I will continue with private lessons though because of the seemingly super high prices. I haven't compared prices around San Diego but I don't think dance lessons are in my budget. If you need quick lessons for a wedding or have enough expendable income Fred Astaire is a great place to check out! What others mention about it being a sales push is true so be prepared. It can't hurt to check out though! read more

Jenny-- We finally decided to use a Groupon I bought a few months ago, $25 for a free group class and two 20-minute private lessons which they ended up grouping into one 45-minute lesson. It was a really good deal, as private lessons can be expensive. Jon and I wanted to try out this place and possibly take more lessons to prepare for our First Dance. The customer service was impeccable from the first phone call I made to make an appointment for the private lesson. The guy I talked to was extremely nice and helpful and advised us to take the private lesson right before a group class of our choice. When I walked in, a gentleman greeted me by name even though I had never been there before. They gave us a tour of the facility and also introduced us to every staff member. Throughout the night, the dance instructors we weren't even working with would say hi to us and motivate us. Our instructor for our private lesson, Miri, was very friendly and positive. For some background info, Jon has very flat feet that may both be left, and I've taken numerous social dance classes for fun in the past. We told her what song we were planning on using for our First Dance, and Miri was very helpful in showing us some optiong. In 40 minutes, we actually learned the basic steps for Foxtrot, Foxy, and Rumba and felt comfortable dancing together to music. Afterwards, we took the Social Foundations Salsa class, which is for beginners. The instructor was very upbeat and friendly, and his teaching method ensured that Jon and I felt comfortable with the steps that we learned. So we kind of agree with the previous reviewer who thought that all the employees here were on drugs. I mean with all the clapping and high-fiving each time we practice one step can be a little much. You might have thought we were on a game show or something. But we didn't mind it too much, and at least the instructors were good. I just got tired of our instructor having us kiss after each time we danced a few steps. It was cute the first couple times, but it was getting a little annoying. (Maybe not for my fiance. When we got home, he continued to kiss me after each step we did, lol). If we were to rate this studio solely on the teaching, we would give it 5 stars, but then the sales team came out. I'll let Jon tell you about them! Jon- This place is a rip! The lessons are fine and the instructors are very skillful, but when we finished, we were herded into their interrogation room and presented with a "customized" package of lessons that cost $630! That's with the discount that is only available if you buy right now! We certainly were not interested, but the sales lady kept pressuring us until I finally said flat out that we were not going to buy their package. The friendly smiles stopped and they looked hurt and disappointed. Too bad. We left- all the wiser! read more

We came here to learn a complicated wedding dance I saw and fell in love with on dancing with the stars everyone was surprised and impressed on our wedding day. read more

Incredible! My wife dragged me to the Fred Astaire dance studio because she wanted me to dance with her, and not look like a complete idiot on the dance floor(or have me run away and hide when I hear dance music). Miriana was my dance instructor, and I was blown away with the patience and skill she possesses to teach someone so terrible at dancing(me haha) to dance with more elegance than I thought I'd be capable of. She made me feel comfortable with dancing, and although I'm no pro, I am no longer afraid of the dance floor! Prior to coming into the studio, I was absolutely terrified of dancing, and dreaded going to events knowing dancing would take place. I've always been self conscious of any sort of dancing, but Miriana guided me step by step, and worked with me to get me comfortable and eager to learn more. My wife and I are already setup to come back for more lessons, so I can improve my "moves" and learn more dances! As for the other review specifying that everyone was too friendly and energetic, are you crazy? How dare a business be too happy and excited to try and motivate you to be excited about learning something new! The entire staff makes you feel comfortable, and they making learning to dance fun. Highly recommended, thank you Miriana and the entire Fred Astaire dance studio staff!!! read more

My fiancé and I started coming here after finding a Groupon deal back in April and have continued to take lessons ever since. It's such a welcoming and fun environment. My fiancé and I had zero ballroom dancing skills when we started but Noe, our instructor, was so patient and knew how to instruct us in the most effective way. He took the time to get to know us and figure out how we learn best. Now, we can confidently dance our Foxy-style dance routine for our 1st dance at our wedding, have some of the basics for other dances (cha-cha, swing, rumba, and waltz) that we can apply on any dance floor, and Noe has become a friend we can easily talk to and joke around with. We really look forward to coming to our lessons! They also have group lessons of varying dance styles throughout the week for all skill levels. Highly recommend this place! read more

I bought a Groupon for a private dance lesson here in hopes of my husband and I bettering our country two-step. To get straight to the point, I could not agree with Bronwen's review here more. We will not be back again. I think this is a great place for older people that have NO social life and desperately need some interaction or are yearning for a new hobby BADLY...but....this place just wasn't our style. They were EXTREMELY sales-y. Both my husband and I have been in sales most of our lives...the entire staff is oozing the "ABCs" and "Best Practices" that you will pick up at any hard-core sales training seminar. It was hard to focus on anything else. It definitely rubbed us the wrong way and made for a less than "fun" experience. It was so bad, it was comical. Might be good for other people, but that alone was SO hard to get over...that and their OVERLY cheery attitudes...they are trying SO hard to act ECSTATIC from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave...it felt very contrived. Not our cup of tea. In the 45 minutes we were there, I did not learn anything. My husband learned a little bit, but I honestly thought he would have learned more since he basically has a lot to learn. The prices that they try to mask in their package deals were horrendous. Try Starlight Dance Studio - MUCH better all around. read more

My wife and I went for our first lesson on Tuesday with no experience between us and after our private lesson with Miri we came back for the group lesson and ended up staying for the Dance Party. Miri and the whole staff were outstanding and made us feel very comfortable and welcome. They are very supportive and have LOTS of patience. Going back for second private lesson tonight and really looking forward to it. Thanks to everyone there. read more

Took a few lessons from Nicole to learn a little swing for when I got a Blues Jones on. Thanks to Nicole and the friendly staff at Fred Astaire I got my mojo working! They are the best!! read more

We went to the Oceanside studio on Coast Highway. Professional and accommodating staff. We are in the military and the instructors knew all the right questions to ask to tailor the dance lesson (for our wedding) to very specific details. Everything from the uniform my fiancee would be wearing, the style of my dress, our dance experience, the song, the mood, etc. all played a part into their recommendations. As the lesson went on the instructors adjusted our style to match what we were capable of and we felt like we were in very good hands and confident to dance at our wedding. We had a good experience and it prompted us to think about other styles of dance to take lessons for, and to go back to the same studio and instructors for after the wedding just want to learn for fun. read more

Welcoming and energetic atmosphere. Instructors are all superb....in both the private and group lesson settings. I "stumbled" upon the studio while fulfilling a commitment to learn a dance for a fund-raising event, and I felt "at home" immediately. Although I always had an inkling of a desire to learn to dance, I could never get myself to even try it out, much less "make a commitment." Now the Fred Astaire Studio has become my regular stop in a busy week or day. I always look forward to my time there, whether it be for an hour or an evening. And I believe I'm "learning to dance." If you: 1) want to learn to dance; and 2) want a fun and "safe" place to do it...give them a try. You won't regret it. MEK read more

I love this place! More fun than a gym, more well-being than a massage, more gentle than a tennis match. You get exercise, improved balance and posture, better than having a personal trainer. Did I mention fun? The laughter and camaraderie are worth the time. Private lessons accelerate learning and the free group classes and dance parties let you dance with people of all ages and skills, just like at a wedding, on a cruise, or at an event. My private lessons with Hunter are the highlight of my week. Lessons for couples are a great date night followed by dinner at the nearby Godfather restaurant. Treat yourself! read more

I've been looking for latin-ballroom dance studios in SD, hence went to Fred Astaire few weeks ago. I have to agree with Bronwen's review. Yes, they are friendly, but overly friendly. Everyone in the studio were all super high, and kept complimenting you over and over again. Either they have really low standards of what is good, or they are just tried to please you so made it over the top. I understand it's just a sales skill, but made me felt uncomfortable after 20mins. I guess this style is good for certain type of people, but for me it just didn't sound sincere. For the people who is looking for dance studios, I'll suggest them should still try this place, since they offer a $10 package for new client, you can just make a appointment and to get to know their environment and teaching style. But just make sure you prepare yourself before you go, because they WILL try very hard to convince you to buy their package deal. read more

This is a wonderful established studio with an extremely professional and fun staff. There really is no better team of dancers in San Diego that compares. May sound like alot of praise but when you go you shall see why even with just an intro lesson you will know. read more

My wife and I just recently started lessons at this studio. I have actually had some years of experience in dancing, but went into the studio telling the staff nothing about my experience in order to really see if we could get a teacher who knows what their doing. To say the least, we are definitely staying! My wife and I had decided to get there a little early to kind of watch everything going on and to check out the people and staff there. When we got there, there was 2 or 3 privates happening and was really kind of quiet. My wife and I got stuck watching one girl teaching her single male and MAN she was good! We could immediately tell, just by the way she was dancing and teaching her student that this place was going to be fun. Then it was our time for our lesson, one of the managers walked up and introduced Stephanie to us (the teacher we were watching) and sent us off with her for our lesson. Stephanie was great! She walked up to us and was very calm and friendly. She taught my wife and I one step and she knew that I had danced before. She asked immediately and started teaching us like we have been taking lessons with her for years. I learned so much and was so happy with the lesson, when she offered a lesson package to us, I was ready to get started right away. After our lesson we stuck around to watch one of the advanced group classes that Stephanie was also teaching and it made me want to just get up and start dancing! She's very smart. She had those students really dancing and was pushing them to be better. That is something I definitely look for in a teacher and my wife and I are very happy with our decision to stay. It might be expensive, but when you get quality instruction and are being taught by people who are REALLY good and know what their doing, then I think its worth it. read more

We had our first dance lessons that we had purchased from Groupon and I am so glad my husband and I came here. Our instructor was Danae and she was wonderful. We learned a few dance steps. Danae gave us so much information. We are now practicing at home and looking forward to our future lessons. I highly recommend this dance studio. I have never taken dance lessons before. Just wanted to give a shout out to Danae!! She is a very good dance instructor. read more

My husband and I have been dancing here for 2 years. We just love the experience and have recently gotten a new teacher and she is the BOMB!!! We have learned so much since starting back regularly and we are doing 2 routines tomorrow for the Spotlight show. The staff treats you like family, no wait...better. Always so excited and enthusiastic. I love the owners, the manager and all of the teachers I have met. I think they could teach just about anybody! Worth the time, don't wait till you have to say, "remember when we used to dance?" The group classes are so much fun, and the Dance Parties are perfect to start using those social dancing skills. 5 stars for sure! read more

Great place to go !!!! Dianna was a great instructor ! I'd highly recommend this place for anyone learning to dance ! It gives you a lot of confidence ! Thanks guys ! read more

Love this studio! Miri is our instructor and she is awesome! My fiancé and I are learning a dance for our upcoming wedding and working with this studio has been a great experience! We have fun at the lessons and have learned a lot. I highly recommend this studio. Work with Miri and you won't be disappointed! read more

I'm a student from the Las Vegas Fred Astaire. I'm visiting San Diego and while I'm here I'm going to see the Fred Astaires here. I love that they treat me like family even though I'm not from here. It's a great studio with wonderful instructors. read more

The staff is very friendly and welcoming. However, the lesson was extremely disappointing. I called earlier in the week as I wanted to take a dance lesson with my fiancé to practice an easy first dance for our upcoming wedding. The woman that I spoke with on the phone was very friendly, we discussed what we were looking for (a very easy dance that looked natural and organic, super simple). When we showed up for our lesson, our instructor was very nice and launched into teaching us a dance. However, when she started the lesson it was really apparent that we had different ideas of what a simple dance is. I voiced my concerns multiple times, which did not help. We left feeling extremely discouraged and frustrated. I wouldn't have felt so frustrated if I hadn't been so specific when I called up and made our dance lesson appointment. read more

We purchased the Groupon for two lessons (30 min. each) for two! We bundled the two lessons upfront, which gave us a solid hour of instruction. We had our first lesson with Danae. What a great teacher, all smiles and very patient! As a beginner, I highly recommend this studio. Everyone is so friendly. If you are taking lessons, you also have access to their group classes (every day of the week and on Saturdays), which are extremely helpful to reinforce the essentials. The calendar of classes is online here: https://www.fredastaire.com/san-diego/calendar/ read more

I am currently taking dance lessons at the Clairemont Mesa location of Fred Astaire Dance Studios. I am a returning student - but 5 years ago the studio was part of the Arthur Murray Franchises. The difference now versus then is refreshing! The staff is friendly and they try to pleasantly greet each person who comes into the studio - but I disagree with other comments that say they are "too enthusiastic". I appreciate that the staff know who I am, since I am investing my TIME and my MONEY to pursue my LOVE of DANCING. It's not as though you're only connected to one instructor - because the other instructors take part in my lessons to help demonstrate or explain a move or new skill that is difficult for me. Also - if you are wise & take part in the group lessons ( available 6 days a week) & the Practice Dance Parties (every Tuesday & Friday evenings) you end up dancing with most if not all of the Staff members & owners. It's kind of like the TV Show Cheers - Don't you want to go where everyone knows your name? read more

I've taken private and group lessons at other studios, and this one feels the most rewarding. The instructirs make you feel like part of their group of friends, and there is so much support for all levels of dancers. The studio offers various activities to help anyone grow as a dancer. Just walk in and you will see what I mean. read more

A very friendly and positive atmosphere where you can learn for funny or competition... I started out to learn social dance and now I am learning to compete. read more

Had a great experience first using a Groupon, and then following up with a few lessons. My wife and I were headed for a trip to Vienna, and thought it might be fun to take some Viennese Waltz lessons before leaving. Elly Gomez was a terrific, patient instructor (a prerequisite for any dance instructor trying to teach me - my wife is a natural, has danced professionally). Really nice vibe, we'll probably go back after vacation to sample a few more of their offerings. Highly recommended!! read more

I just can't bring myself to complain about people being "too friendly" or "too enthusiastic" or OMG actually remembering my name when I return for a dance class. My husband and I began classes a couple of months ago and our instructor Leanna is young and upbeat and notices the little changes we need to make to improve our skills. I think they honestly just have fun there. You can join in on group classes or dance parties, or just come for private lessons. I've been wanting to learn to dance for years, and I love feeling welcomed every time I walk through the door. We've paid for several lessons in advance, so it doesn't feel false.....as if they're trying to get us to sign on the line. We already did. It's a lovely way to stay fit. Sure beats a treadmill. We never felt pressured to pay. When the packages were presented to us, we let them know that we would talk about it and let them know later. They were fine with that and never pressured us to 'make a decision right now!' I just wish they were closer to Solana Beach. Sometimes the traffic getting there can be a pain. read more

We are new to the studio and really enjoying it. Shane is a great teacher. We paid the $10 for the first lesson, then bought a $445 package. Yes everyone is very nice, friendly and a little family-culty. We go to the group lessons twice a week and a dance party occasionally. There seems to be some horny type guys, lots of older men, and couples. I was shy at first dancing with strangers, or especially other peoples soon to be grooms. I got over that quickly and enjoy the mix up of strong arms and weaker arms. I have not tried other dance studios. My only complaint is the pricing is so high. There is NO WAY to continue lessons for less then $120 a lesson. So we will be signing up for the one lesson a month minimum for $139 so we can get the free group lessons. That is about it... read more

Great place to learn to dance or improve your skills. When I arrived for my first lesson I was quite nervous to be trying something so new and challenging by myself. Both the staff and students were friendly and welcoming and helped me become part of their family. I've been a student at Fred Astaire for several years now, and I've not only learned to dance but have danced at national competitions with my very talented instructors - my own "Dancing With The Stars" moments! I never dreamed this could be possible. I also get to attend group classes - great to learn steps - and Friday night dance parties to dance and socialize with other students and staff. I'm having a blast! I highly recommend dancing at Fred Astaire. read more