I started swing dancing at The Firehouse when it was in La Jolla almost 15 years ago. The Firehouse is still one of my favorite places to dance. I've been a lot of places, danced in most of them, and The Firehouse continues to feel like home. Since Meeshi moved on and passed the torch to Derek and Erin, they've continued the fantastic community centric attitude and prove that The Firehouse isn't about a person, or a building, it's a whole community; one that I'm proud to be a part of. This place is inclusive, fun, and very welcoming. If you ever see me on the floor, save me a dance! read more

Another update. Up-to-date information is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFirehouseSwingDance This is the biggest weekly dance party in the city (the First Saturday Swing is even larger, but happens only once a month). The event starts at 7PM with two parallel lessons at 7PM and 8PM (total of four lessons, the introductory ones are at 7PM), the dance floor opens at 9PM. The dancing goes on until 11PM. The drop-in cost of the 8PM lesson and the dance is $15 (dance only is $9), expect to pay 5 extra bucks on the live music days. The lessons and dance parties afterwards are excellent. An intermediate lesson happens at 8PM. Location: The Champion Ballroom is a well-known dance place on the Ruffin Rd (think Montgomery Airport). It has its own large parking lot (the location is correctly identified with any navigator, still, finding the entrance to the lot in the dark might be tricky, so drive slowly for the last 100 yards). On popular night the lot might become full, I did not yet figure a good solution yet, but business parking lots are galore in the neighborhood. Venue: The studio looks and feels really great. Air conditioning is excellent, this is probably the best place in San Diego to dance on hot weeks. There is plenty of seating available. Note: there is no water fountain, tap water and plastic cups are available in the lobby. If you need anything better, bring your own gear and water. The Fridges in the lobby (and their water dispensers) are off-limits. The large-size floor is of excellent quality (again, probably the best in San Diego) and easily accommodates the dancers. There are usually more followers than leads in the first hour of dancing, then the ratio between the leaders and followers evens up. Expect 100 dancers with the skills ranging from absolute beginners to advanced. This dance party is very beginner-friendly, and the percentage of the beginner follows is higher than the typical one for San Diego (would expect the same to hold true for the leads, but simply do not know). read more

I am so happy I found this place. I am a beginner swing dancer and I love it! Pros: Friendly atmosphere, fun and classy! Nice, patient and kind teachers! This is definitely something I look forward to every week! I love the vintage music! Everyone dresses up! I love wearing my dress to this event. Cons: Must be on time, street parking. Prices are good for what you get! I recommend to get the packages since you save money in the long run! Come check it out! read more

The Firehouse Swing Dance - Friends, they do require masks - Dance Clubs Near Me - San Diego, California

Once upon a time, in the late 90's... Here's the story of a lovely lady Who was bringing up three very lovely girls. (Actually...no) All of them had hair of BROWN, like their mother, ERICA C, the hottest girl! Here's the story, of a man named CHUN P, Who was busy with three boys of his own, ( Um...no) They were four men, living all together, Yet they were all alone. Till the one day when the lady met this fellow And they knew it was much more than a hunch, That this two would somehow form a family. That's the way we all became the CHUN P Bunch. The CHUN P Bunch, The CHUN P Bunch! That's the way we all became the CHUN P Bunch! OK, so above story is not 100% true, but the part where ERICA C eventually becomes ERICA P is true...we met on the dance floor. Who knows...maybe you too can meet that special someone on the swing dance floor? Wednesday nights...come check it out! Large smooth hardwood dance floor, good music, and friendly dancers. All ages...and strangely, lately it feels like 1999 all over again with the Girl to Boy ratio about 3 to 1! Little cafe built in but no alcohol...but then again, its not easy swing dancing after the 4th cocktail ;-) As for the venue itself, checkout the reviews...4.5 Stars: http://www.yelp.com/biz/queen-bees-san-diego read more

We had our first Lindy lesson last night and it was great. The venue is beautiful and the instructors were knowledgeable and fun. They have a beginner special for 10 classes that is very reasonable and a good motivator for sticking with it. read more

Loved Lindy Hopping! Not sure if that's a term but the lessons were great and easy to follow. Went there for the 6 count and I had lots of fun.The venue is large, nice clean floors (non-sticky a must) and not too crowded. It's was their anniversary so they had FREE ice cream bars (I couldn't eat any since i can't do dairy) Parking was super easy to find. People were nice and I learned a lot (I am newbie) Great dancing spot on a Wednesday night. Oh there was also a taster blues lesson an hour after the 6 count lesson. Will go again for sure! Lesson is $15 general and $12 student/military. read more

A good way to enjoy some vintage and modern music, meet some new people. All styles here (east coast swing, lindy hop, etc). Big dance floor and great audio system. Snacks and drinks is good. read more

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Warm and inviting group of regulars with inquisitive and friendly rookies. Universally accepting of diverse personalities. Universally allergic to bad people. THE EXPERIENCE Still going! -- Overcame a big fear by putting myself in a new situation. Lots of positive reinforcement. Made friends. Friends became as integral in my life as my own family. THE VERDICT Get out there and GO DANCING -- This has been the single most important change in my life. read more

I went to Queen Bee's to dance once night and had an amazing time! I had only one (very brief) Swing lesson before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I came to the lesson beforehand, and we learned the basic moves in addition to the Charleston, which was super fun! Don't expect an intense, in-depth lesson. You will switch partners, so be prepared to meet new people and step out of your comfort zone if you're shy! :) The dance afterwards was so fun. They had a live band that played some amazing music, and they had a great playlist going when they were taking a break. Everyone I encountered was so nice! I went by myself, so I didn't know how long I would stay, but I was there for 4 hours, and almost never sat down. All the pro dancers are eager to help out the newbies, and offer great advice if you're doing anything "wrong" (which I think as long as you are having fun and don't worry about making mistakes, you are doing it right). This is definitely a great venue for both new and seasoned dancers alike. Only *warning* - there is NO water fountain! But they let you bring your own water in! So don't forget, unless you want to sweat to a slow, dehydrating death. read more

I started going to the firehouse for swing dancing about 3 months ago now. I fell in love. Wednesdays are now officially reserved for dancing and lessons at the firehouse. Meeshi and Alena are excellent instructors. They make the classes fun, upbeat, informative, and easy to understand. Don't be afraid if you are a first time learner. They break everything down into steps. The dancers are also very friendly. I have made many new friends over the past several months. I am really happy I took a chance and crawled out of my shell and gave the 90 day challenge a try. Its an excellent price and you get more than what you pay for. Also you dont need to take a partner to go to the classes. There are mostly singles there and Meeshi and Alena do a great job of rotating everyone around throughout each lesson. Go for it! read more

Unfortunately for me, Queen Bee and fabulous Firehouse nights are too far away for me to go every Wednesday, but in every occasion I have a blast. No experience needed, go and get a lesson or more by Meeshi, and stay for the dance party afterwards (now there is new AC, so no sweating like crazy anymore:). You will love having a teacher like Meeshi, he is such an awesome person and instructor, you will feel the good vibes and get a happy vitamin shot by just attending one of his classes. Everybody working there or going dancing there are amazing people that love to dance and have a good time. This is the perfect place, location, pricing and people. Now get your flat shoes, your flirty skirt and get moving! read more

If you've always wanted to learn how to swing dance, but were afraid to begin, stop worrying. Start here! If you're looking for somewhere to swing dance, this is the spot. Firehouse is a safe, nonjudgmental space for dancers at all skill levels and ages. Everyone's friendly and willing to help you learn new moves or practice your steps. As a beginner, I started out with the 90-Day Swing Challenge, taught by Meeshi and Yvette. It's $100/person for 12 weeks (1 90-minute class/week), including the dance session after class, during which you learn East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and Charleston basics. They break down the steps and teach you to feel the motion and tune into the music, as opposed to focusing only on the mechanics and what your feet are doing. They also post instructional review videos on Facebook for practice. If you practice, you'll definitely be able to swing dance by the end of it. (Don't have someone to practice with? Stay for the dancing afterwards and ask people to dance. Really, it's okay, even if you suck. Just change your shirt if you're a sweaty mess.) You'll also get to meet a lot of cool people during class as you rotate partners throughout. The DJs are generally good about playing a mix of tempos, so you can do everything from lindy hop to balboa and even blues if it's slow enough. read more

I wanted to learn how to swing dance for a long time, and for various reasons alway found an excuse not to go. Then my coworker Ashley brought me to firehouse and I haven't looked back since!! I cannot say enough good things about this place, the instructors are easy to understand and a joy to learn from. The best part about the place is the attitude. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming! You never need to worry about being a beginner because everyone adjusts to your level. If you have reservations about coming alone- don't worry about it!! The instructors encourage everyone to rotate partners throughout out the lesson because you learn more, and in the words of Meeshi it's much easier to take criticism from someone who is not your partner! Make sure to call ahead to make sure that they are accepting drop-ins, and bring cash! They are cash only, but there is an ATM across the street if you forget :) read more

You know the story...My friend convinced me to try swing dancing with her but I was only going to try it for one night. However, I got hooked! I've completely fallen in love with Swing dancing and I can't seem to get enough of it. The Firehouse is a wonderful venue.The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The lessons are well-explained and demonstrated. The instructors are professional and encouraging. And the people are great. It feels like family. I've made some really wonderful friends through the Firehouse. read more

This is a great weekly dance event to attend whether you're new to swing dancing or an experienced dancer. There are lessons before the dance, so you can show up, take a lesson and hit the dance floor the very same night. However, there is always a good variety of people there so you can learn from the more experienced dancers as well. The main room is spacious and ecclectic, with plenty of chairs around the perimeter so you can take a break and socialize between dances. There are also two other rooms that have different styles of dancing. The Firehouse has been drawing a large crowd of San Diego's swing dancers for years now and is consistently a good time. read more

Firehouse is one of the two best places for swing dancing down in San Diego. You know it must be good if I drive an hour and half from Orange County to dance here! I love that there are three different rooms to choose from, depending on what you want to dance to at that moment. This new location is smaller than the previous one, but the variety in music choices is a nice change of pace. The main lindy room is where most people are dancing, but there is also a blues/west coast room in with the cafe where you can buy snacks and water, and of course my personal favorite...the Bal room....there is some seriously amazing music going on in there! It does get really warm here when you're dancing, but they have the biggest fan I've ever seen in a venue in my life that you can stand in front of to cool off. I wish they would put a fan in the Bal room however...it's like a sauna in there with just a few open windows and no fan...but that doesn't stop me from dancing anyway! There are dancers from all different levels here and I've found that the San Diego dancers are some of the nicest dancers around. I'm always guaranteed plenty of fun dances when I'm down there. read more

Stopped by to dance a bit, since I'm from out of town, and dragged 3 of my friends with me. Two of them had never danced before, so they were in the beginner class (which was HUGE) and my other one fell asleep in the car, so I left him there while I went to the lesson, with the promise I'd call him when social dance started. The lesson was fun and informative - lots of stuff was thrown at us, without too much time to practice them in between, though. From what I hear, my two friends (who were very scared of dancing) had a blast at the beginner lesson. I even danced a couple songs with them before they left for the night. People were very friendly and varied in skill level. I'm still a beginner myself, but still had an amazing time dancing with all the different people, even when I did make mistakes. It was so odd seeing how many follows there were! Definitely not used to it, coming from San Jose. Would love to come back. Really fun music choices, nice people, fair sized dance floor, and an empty room where you can just relax or use the mirrors to practice. read more

Well, I haven't gone to a Firehouse Swing Dance since they moved, but I've danced at several of Meeshi's Firehouse events when they were at the La Jolla Firehouse (for which they are named) and the San Diego Women's Club, and I used to dance (salsa and bachata) regularly at Queen Bee's plenty of times, so have no problem recommending anyone interested in (lindy) swing dancing to go check it out. They usually offer classes at different levels from a variety of very good instructors prior to their public dances (which alternate between some nights with just a DJ and others with a live band). The main drawback of the Queen Bee's location is finding parking. Meeshi is now also promoting DanceWalking - so if you end up parking far away, it's a perfect time to practice.... read more

Firehouse Swing Dance at Queen Bee's This is where the cool cats dance. Bee there, or bee square. read more

I'm the first to review this! The Longest Running swing dance venue in San Diego. The very first location was in Hillcrest at an Old Fire Station. It's called the firehouse because it's HOT! The music caters to all dancers. The venue has changed locations, but now has moved back to the North Park area where the Rocket Club used to be. The energy is high and friendly, There's lots of people to dance with, especially a lot of hot girls. It now has three rooms for different styles of swing dancing. Stay tune for the Blues/West Coast rooms. There were some hot girls in there. read more

Five Stars! Five Stars! Five Stars! Why? Because this places let Cattle Decapitation (Vegan Death Metal band formed in 1996), Swing Kids (broke up in 1997), and Bastard Noise (formed in 1991), all play together under the same room! This line-up was probably their first time together since 1996/1997. The venue was indie and super clean. Just okay acoustics, but that was probably the sound man's fault. Keep it up!! read more

Fun well taught classes in a cool venue. The teachers have an entertaining way of teaching. In the advanced classes the teachers are well traveled dance competitors. After the lessons is open dancing. Lots of students and skilled dancers in attendance. Great LIVE MUSIC on some nights in a style you wont hear anywhere else unless. All geared toward swing and Lindy dancing. read more

the firehouse on wed nights is the best place to swing dance during the week. They also have great classes, I recommend meeshis- lindy 1 & 2 nate and tertias- balboa 1& 2 read more

I've been to about 10 of these lessons. They used to be better, or maybe it was just a better crowd that showed up. Lately, I've found that these lessons and the so-called dance party afterwards are no good for either learning how to dance or socializing in general! The lessons are OK if you're just trying to get the main gist of it. You know, back forth, quick quick slow yadda yadda. But beyond learning the basic step, the lessons are useless. They go on an on with crude analogies like women are cars, imaginary line here, wind up the top, connect the moves like cursive writing, but never get more specific about how to actually do anything. For instance, they'd go on for 5 minutes with their useless analogy about connecting moves like cursive letters, but never once do they show an example of how to style the beginning or end of a particular move or how to transition from any other move into that one. They rarely (if ever) mention weight transfer, which count a movement should happen on, or how to actually lead the move they're doing. To add to the frustration, they never use names for any of the moves they're teaching. Earlier tonight I learned the "pivot-pull-step." Nothing wrong with that particular dance move, but I feel like I would remember it more, and also be able to use it and relate it to other dance classes more if they used a proper name. Not once have I ever heard them use the terms inside turn, outside turn, they never gave the name of the style of dance they're teaching (east coast swing I think), they just don't use names for anything. I've taken dance classes from roughly a dozen different instructors over the years, and these two are some of the worst. But hey, most people don't care about the technical aspects of dancing anyway, they're just there for the socializing, which leads me to: The "dance party." I always seem to show up on the "Firehouse" swing night where they promise live music, and wear costumes and decorate the place. I think they charge more too. Tonight I stayed for about an hour after the lesson, and it was just canned music the whole time. They said there would be live music, and there just wasn't. Maybe there was eventually, but I got tired of waiting for the party to start and left. They couldn't even keep the canned music going! There were many awkward silences during the hour that I stayed (I think the DJ was busy doing something besides DJing).. So if you're down to hang around and do nothing for like 90 minutes to two hours waiting for the real party to start, maybe this is OK for you. But for me, well, I'm not showing up again. The huge dead period between the end of the lesson and whenever the party was supposed to start is just too disheartening for me. It seemed like the only people enjoying it were the very experienced dancers (so about half the people on the floor were TA's). I like swing dancing, but I'm never driving there again, or wasting another $16 for a party that never happens. Anyone know a better place? read more

I came in as a beginner to swing dancing and decided to drop in for Meeshi's Swing 101 class. I liked it so much that I decided to commit to the 90 day challenge (they were nice enough to deduct my drop in fee from the cost). That decision was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I am much more confident and less self-conscious as a dancer now. I've graduated to the 102 class, and I'm doing my next 90 day challenge. At the beginning of class we do warm-up and ice breaking exercises. They really help me loosen up and feel more comfortable both moving, and comfortable with my classmates. Many times after watching the instructors preview the dance we will be attempting that session, I say to myself "OMG, I can't do that!" Remember, I'm a beginner to dancing and can get intimidated easily. However, by the end of the class my saying changes to "OMG, I can't believe I DID that!" The instructors make this possible by going step by step, building up a little at a time, and putting the pieces together at the end. I have gained more than just a new confidence and proficiency with swing dancing. I feel like I'm part of a community. I have met so many amazing people! The dancers of the Firehouse community are so patient and encouraging to beginners. That's really helpful because as a beginner, dancing among advanced dancers can be intimidating. I highly recommend attending the social dances after. The music is great (sometimes live). And everybody just wants to have a good time, no matter your skill level. The dance is really cheap if you do the lesson. Usually only $1 more. If you're in the 90 day challenge, the lesson is about $8/week. $9 for an a 90 minute lesson and dancing till midnight. Not a bad deal. If you need to miss a class, or just need some extra practice, you can drop in at Infinity Dance Sport Center on Convoy/Balboa for just $5. Queen Bee's is a great venue. They've always got something cool going on. Speaking of cool, they recently put in new air conditioning. See you there! read more

I visited from out of town after finding out about this weekly dance on the internets. It felt like any other swing community - friendly and warm. The only difference was that I saw a lot more Balboa than I'm used to which, you know, makes sense in this area. I paid $10 cash for admission because there happened to be a live band the night I visited. Leads were very nice and I danced with several. They had a birthday/visitor jam so I really got to dance with several! I enjoyed sitting back and watching the dancers as well - there are so many great dancers here! A few dancers I chatted with told me about other local dances and some upcoming parties. Meeshi and the community are doing a great job keeping swing alive in southern California. Long live Frankie Manning! read more

The Firehouse provides not only a spectacular place to dance, but also a wonderful and inviting sense of community. At this venue you will not only gain the skills to bring your social dancing to a whole new level--but also network into an outgoing and interesting troupe of fellow dancers. Meeshi has the uncommon ability to inspire freedom of expression on his dance floor--making you feel at home as soon as you walk through the doors. So bring your creativity, spontaneity, love, and dance shoes, and join us a Queen Bees. read more

Super fun lesson! Minus one star for being so "school" about it.. why can't you play music WHILE teaching the steps? That kind of annoyed me. read more

Giant beginner class! You don't need a partner, just come out and smile. There are a zillion willing dancers of all levels. This is the most fun you can have in North Park. Extremely talented and exciting instructional staff. Don't miss out on a chance to meet some amazing new friends / lovers / dancers! read more

By far, one of the most energetic and exciting social dance venues in San Diego. The people, the music, the dancing...everything is impressive. Great place to take classes and learn how to partner dance. Everyone is friendly--it's impossible not to smile around such a positive and happy crowd! Three rooms of dancing! Traditional swing all the way from Lindyhop and East Coast to Balboa...and the alternative Blues and West Coast Swing offered all at one location! Of course...there's those of us who also enjoy hitting up Toronado's (one block away!) before heading to the dance as well... Very central location with walking distance to restaurants, pubs, and wine bars... Very awesome... VERY FUN!!! read more

Most incredible dance option in San Diego! I have been a fan of swing dance since 1999 and this group is the best in CA! We are very lucky to have this opportunity right here in SD! The teachers are great for first timers, the regulars are friendly and truly phenomenal dancers! Amazing energy, a great place to meet nice new friends and have a ton of fun! Skip your night at the usual bar or club and try something classic you will not be disappointed! read more

This is a great place to go dancing, All ages and all levels of dancers are welcome. The whole room is a dance floor, so there is always plenty of room. It's where I go on Wednesday's because all the great dancers are there!!!!! read more

I am new to swing and am COMPLETLY ADDICTED NOW!The room is so big your not crowed or bumping in to people like EVERY OTHER PLACE. the group of poeple there are like a big loving family! very friendly and accepting. They offer classes to help those with 2 left feet or those that have been doing it for years. being that its ALL AGES ANYONE CAN COME!!!! O and did I mention there is a room painted in black light paint and they give u 3D glasses... so shroomerific!!! read more

My fiance and I recently completed the 90-day challenge with Meeshi and Yvette (amazing deal, by the way - if you do not know about this, you seriously need to check it out!), and we enjoyed dancing in general and the classes in particular so much that we are going to sign up for another 90-day challenge!! Neither of us has much experience with any kind of dance, so we were both a little nervous, but we never felt put on the spot or embarrassed, and we had a total blast the whole time! Having a male and female instructor was great - not only are Meeshi and Yvette fun to watch, but also my fiance is forever indebted to Yvette for teaching me how to follow, and I am forever indebted to Meeshi for teaching my fiance how to lead :)! My fiance and I also started taking private lessons with Meeshi because we want help choreographing and learning a dance for our wedding. Meeshi is a great teacher and has so many fun ideas! My fiance and I cannot wait to take more lessons and show off all the cool moves we learned!! FYI - you do not need to have a partner to take this class (great place to meet others with similar interests), but you have the option of staying together if you come with someone. read more

While usually rather packed on the dance floor, the atmosphere is more than enjoyable; large fans keep the place a little cooler and awesome staff are always pleasant to communicate with, the restrooms are clean, and the fee at the door is fair. Overall, this is a jammin' place to go out with friends to. read more

This is a SUPER fun place! :) Wanna swing dance? this is the place to go. The ooooone thing that REALLY bothers me is that there is TOO MANY PEOPLE!!! Usually to point where your're bumping into people when you dance and you don't get one on one time with the instructors Meeshi and Alena (AWESOME people by the way) who teach the beginners. read more

Where shall I begin? Firehouse Swing at Queen Bee's is AMAZING fun! All of the teachers are skilled, funny and awesome at breaking down the moves so that they're easy to pick up. It's a great way to meet people. Guys, there's ALWAYS a surplus of girls, so come and turn the charm on. Just like one of the teachers said last night, "If you can dance, you're automatically in the top 20% of guys." So true. Everyone is super nice, and the dance starting at 9 is way fun. Great music, easy connection AND inexpensive. A perfect way to spend pretty much any evening! read more

If you like swing dancing, this place is so fun. Just about everyone I've met here has been an interesting, kind, and fun person and I've made a lot of good new friends just going dancing here. I was welcomed with open arms when I came as a total beginner and I've had some of the best nights dancing here, I highly recommend it, especially as a place to start to get to know people in the dance community. Typically cheap social dancing cover. The cafe in the back makes pretty delicious fruit smoothies... read more

I've been dancing at the Firehouse for years now and am truly enjoying the new home at Queen Bee in North Park. It loses a half star for me star for me for being hot beyond description, but there is no other place in San Diego I'd recommend more for learning to swing dance. Very beginner friendly. Good mix of music and tempos. Three rooms. Love it! read more

Best place in town for Lindy Hop! The guy who runs it, Meeshi, is really friendly and welcoming. Great entertainment and good exercise!