About Us

We suggest bringing the following to your lesson:

• Wear shoes that support your ankles – no flip flops, slides, or wedges. Dance shoes, athletic shoes, heels with strapped or supported ankle, men’s dress shoes, loafers, or bare feet are all fine. Bring your wedding shoes if you’d like to get comfortable in them in advance (which we definitely encourage).

• Water

• Particular wedding song or one you’ve always wanted to dance to (send us ahead of time!)

• Comfortable clothing or if it’s a date night, feel free to dress up! Just make sure you feel secure moving in what you’re wearing (wardrobe malfunctions are never fun).

The easy answer is “Today” or “Yesterday”! A lot of factors dictate your best start date – your comfort level with dancing, your partner’s comfort level (remember, there are two of you), your goals, your memory, and fitness level in comparison to those goals, your learning styles, and your stress level.

Quick answer – sooner is definitely better! We recommend 3 months ahead as a sweet spot but it really depends on your goals! If you’re starting as a hobbyist, life is short – let’s do this. The longer you are dancing the better all the elements and skills will feel and the more natural they will become. And most importantly, the more confident and less nervous you will feel!

We accept Venmo, PayPal, cash, checks, and most cards. Payments can be made online, through the front desk, or Venmo to @firstdanceplace.

When purchasing a package of 8 or more, we are happy to offer payment plans.

Please contact the front desk for any changes, cancellations, or reschedules. We ask that all of our clients be flexible while we all juggle life during Covid. Our regular cancellation fees still apply to cancellations made same-day or with less than 24hrs notice. Your health and safety and that of our staff come first!

Our regular cancellation policy:

Private Lessons: In an effort to respect our time, your time, and other clients’ time, cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance for appointments so we have adequate time to fill an empty spot. Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance incur a $75 cancellation charge. No shows will result in a forfeited lesson. You may change your appointment or cancel online if it is more than 24 hours’ notice or by contacting us directly.

Group Classes: Since space is limited, please remove yourself from a group class as soon as you know you cannot attend. We ask that you enroll in any class in advance. We encourage 24-hour cancellation in advance for groups. No shows forfeit the class.

Repetition is key. Did you know it takes your body at least three times before your muscle memory kicks in and recognizes a movement or pattern? As we get older, we need more repetition to capture new movements. Be patient with yourselves. You’re not going on Dancing With The Stars tomorrow. Learning dance is about just that – learning. So enjoy the journey. We’ll get you where you’re going. I recommend being able to schedule your lessons at least once a week or once every other week but we’ll work with you to maintain your learning curve if your schedule is crazy. Like anything else, the more you do it, the quicker it’ll sink in and the better it will feel. If you have a shorter timeline or an aggressive goal, shoot for multiple times per week. It will get you results. We recommend biweekly if you are starting with a substantial amount of time and feel confident you will practice independently in between lessons OR if that’s the best-case scenario for your schedule.

Packages are chunks of private lessons that you can use however you like – maybe one month you come 6 times, another month you’re traveling and can only come twice – they’re the best option if you’re on a set timeline and want to take 1-3 months to learn your dance. Packages start at 5 lessons and go up to 12+ lessons. If you want to dive into an intensive and come several times a week or you have specific time-restrictive goals or a crazy travel schedule, packages are the way to go!

On the other hand, memberships allow you to learn over a longer period of time, ranging from 3 months to 12+ months depending on your goals. Memberships are ideal for couples wanting to start NOW and build up their general partner dancing skills leading up to their wedding. Memberships also allow you to make smaller payments spread out over time.

The cost of your lessons depends on what package or membership you’re on. Private lessons start at $115 in our largest packages, with single a la carte sessions or Emergency Wedding Sessions being a premium price. Generally, our boutique private sessions are between $115 and $185 depending on the session type and package. Group classes range between $12 and $25 per person.

After choosing your song or songs, we work with you to decide if edits are required. An ideal range of time to dance is 2-3 minutes - we don’t want you to have to do a marathon of dancing at your wedding. Once we all agree on the vision for the song or medley, the editing notes are sent to our in-house music editor, Ruben - who will typically get the final mp3 back within 1-2 weeks. Edits range from $75 for 1 song to $100+ for multiple songs. This range is approximate and can vary depending on the intricacies of the edits. Some people like to use an outside editor or their DJ to create a mix or shorten their song, we just ask that the mp3 is completed and sent to our frontdesk by the start of the lesson package.

All lessons take place in North Park at 3774 30th Street, San Diego, CA 92104

All payments are due before the first lesson of a package or membership. If you are on a payment plan, the first installment is due before the first lesson. If you are paying in full for a package, the full payment is due before the first lesson. If you paid a non-refundable deposit for a lesson package or membership that is starting sometime in the future, the balance will be due before your first lesson. All payments can be made through the frontdesk or Venmo @firstdanceplace.