About Us

Our Commitment

We are committed to being a community of compassion and encouragement for people of all genders, races, backgrounds, and identities to learn to move and dance with a partner. Providing encouragement and love through the learning process so you can find your fun and flow just how you are.

The mission of the First Dance Place is to:

Show people that they can learn romantic, fun, and exciting choreography.

Transform people from nervous, apprehensive, or scared about dance, to feeling confident & capable, walking away from lessons with a new perspective that dancing is totally possible for them AND fun.

Create more connection, communication & excitement between two people as they learn the elements and conquer their first dance choreography.

Meet the Owner

Hi, I’m Katie! The owner and lead teacher at The First Dance Place.

I have over 10 years of experience teaching partnered dance styles, including East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Bachata & Merengue, Rumba, Waltz, and Hustle. I have taught all over the States and competed in dance competitions in the UK, Baltimore, DC, Denver, and San Diego (my home). In addition to social dance styles, I love to develop my ability to dance to as wide a range you can imagine - incorporating African Dance, Hip Hop, and Samba into my bones so I can dance to ALL THE MUSIC!  

I LOVE what I do at The First Dance Place.

When teaching, my goal is to impact people by leaving them with the experience that dance is fun and accessible to them - that they are capable of learning movement and styles of partner dancing and it doesn’t have to be stressful or scary! I want people to walk away from dance lessons feeling excited to come back, ready to practice their moves out in the real world, and supported & encouraged along the way. 

I have so much fun meeting new clients, getting to know their personalities, getting to facilitate their growth and become a little part of their ceremony and wedding day (even if I’m not there day-of). I want to leave people with a “peak” experience and memory at their wedding. Leaving them feeling ready and excited to perform their first dance AND ready to receive the buckets of compliments afterwards! 

Whether you’re comfortable dancing and want to add some flair to your first dance, or you have no experience and are scared to dance in front of others - I GOT YOU. You will develop the skills, confidence and partnered dance ability in no time, and have so much fun learning the first dance of your dreams with your partner: I’m so excited to get you there!

How We Work

Interested in getting started with lessons? Fill out our New Client Intake Form and tell me about your big day and dance needs!

I will get in touch with my top recommendations for a program or package that would be the best fit. Here we can discuss any ideas or questions about your song(s), or anything else you’d like to go over!

Select the option that sounds best for you. Simply email the front desk to let us know how you’d like to proceed! A staff member will get you set up and help you schedule your first lesson. If you have any questions, simply shoot them over to our front desk email.

Want to get a feel for lessons before signing up for a package? We offer sample lessons for couples with a timeline of 12+ weeks who are looking at a package of 8 or more lessons!

What are lessons like?

Don’t worry if you have NO experience, OR if you danced growing up and could compete on Dancing With the Stars - I tailor lessons to your unique learning style. Your first few lessons will be focused on learning the foundational elements of the styles that match your song(s). This allows you to gain confidence dancing with your partner and build an understanding of how turns, moves across the floor, and dips work! Later in the package, we will thread those elements together into a sequence/choreography. Occasionally we will jump straight into choreography in the first few lessons, but this is dependent on the couple/project and my sense of your learning style. 

Plan the Day of Your Dreams

View our list of preferred vendors in preparation for your big day.

 FAQs

 

  • 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 really depends on what package or membership you’re on. Private lessons start at $95 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 $85 and $150 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 $50 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.

What Our Clients Are Saying

  • Katie is WONDERFUL!! We learned so much after our first ONE hour lesson with her - it was insane! I could tell immediately that she loves her job and she made us feel so comfortable and at ease - it ended up being a lot of fun too! She taught us a bunch of dance moves we could do and then we were able to go home and put a final dance together ourselves. She took video of us throughout our two lessons so we could practice and remember what we had learned. She gave us great tips and advice as well - she went above and beyond!

    Katheryn L.

  • Katie is an awesome dance teacher and we highly recommend signing up for lessons if you'd like to learn how to turn easy-to-learn movements into a beautifully choreographed dance for your wedding or special occasions!! Katie is GREAT at breaking down moves so they feel "right" to you. Simple changes like hand height or body angles can do wonders for making the moves feel more smooth. Also, during lessons, Katie is great at ensuring she captures videos on your devices so you can go back home and have a reference video when practicing in between lessons. If you're reading this review then you should probably just call up The First Dance Place and book your lesson; you won't be disappointed.

    Andrew B.

  • Katie was very kind and patient, she really took time with my partner who had essentially no dance experience to make sure he understood the steps in a way that made sense to him. She was able to cater the dance moves to our desires, some spins for the leading partner and easy, but beautiful for photographing, lifts. We also have to give a shout out to Merabel who was so communicative and helpful with scheduling our classes each month. My work shifts were sporadic at the time and she was able to help accommodate changes in our schedule.

    Pat P.

  • Katie made our wedding unforgettable!! I wanted a fun father daughter dance that my wedding guests wouldn't forget and a year later when anyone mentions my wedding, they always talk about the amazing dance we did! Not only was the dance choreographed perfectly, Katie made it so fun and comfortable for my dad and I to learn. I can't say enough great things about Katie and how I am forever grateful for making my father daughter dance better than I could have imagined.

    Brianna W.

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