Astoria Ballroom

This review is for rental of the ballroom. I threw my sister a milestone birthday party (she’s into swing dancing) and found the perfect setting for it in Astoria Ballroom. The dance floor is well-​maintained and there is a nice bar and couch area that worked perfectly for our event. Midori coordinated the rental details with me, and she was both professional and personable. Alex gave the dance lesson for our partygoers, and they all had a great time under his instruction. Both of them were a pleasure to work with, and the dance studio is really a beautiful space — made the birthday party even more memorable!

We chose Astoria Ballroom to help us prepare for our first dance, and we could not have been happier with our sessions with Midori and Alex. Both are extremely kind, fun, and skilled teachers. The dance classes were moments of calm and fun in the midst of very busy wedding preparations. The studio has a great and welcoming vibe, we felt at home right away. We will be sure to return to keep honing our skills post wedding. There is a dance aerobics class we are looking forward to. Thank you, Midori and Alex!

I’m visiting from Boston and it was almost impossible for me to find a studio that was opened at the time that I needed or that would even allow me to rent out space for a rehearsal. The owner Alex was very accommodating and friendly. The studio was clean, welcoming, and had a very zen feel to it. Highly recommended if you need a space for yourself to run routines.

Midori is wonderful!
My fiancé and I decided to take dance lessons to prepare for the first dance at our wedding. Midori took the time to create a dance for us that not only captures the beauty of our song, it is romantic and entertaining too. She was a great coach and was very encouraging while we learned our routine. By the time we were done, I watched as tears of happiness came to her eyes. What a special moment!
Astoria Ballroom in Costa Mesa offers free consultations for couples seeking lessons for their first dance. They have lots of classes and private lessons available as well. I would highly recommend anyone interested to call Midori.

My wife and I searched Orange County for ballroom dance instruction at several places before I came upon Astoria Ballroom. All the other dance instruction studios seemed to place an emphasis on signing you up for a «dollar amount contract» for a specified length of time which make me suspicious of their real intentions. Astoria didn’t do this and instead asked first about what our goals were. They were willing to work with us so that we could gain the dancing performance we wanted without locking us into any «contracts». They also are willing to give you individual attention when needed, and they don’t force you into a group learning situation with changing partners. Best of all is you don’t feel like you are being passed through an assembly line method of instruction.
This is a great place to learn to dance. My wife and I are so glad we decided to re-​learn how to dance. Now we can actually dance with the music when we go places, instead of just watching others dance and have fun.

It’s difficult to know what to look for when you’re getting into ballroom dancing, because without knowing what makes a good teacher, or what’s really involved in being a good dancer, you have no way of knowing how to choose a studio. But Alex and Midori at Astoria Ballroom have what it takes.
I had taken introductory lessons at a number of other studios in Orange County, and I always felt that something was missing. I felt like I was learning steps, but that I wasn’t learning how to DANCE. I wanted to learn how to dance… how to create movement in my body, how to place my feet, how to feel the lead from a partner. In my search, I didn’t find it; I felt like I was wasting my money, so I gave up on dance.
A few years later, I met a student of Alex’s, who, after I explained my frustration with my experiences at other ballrooms in Orange County, told me that Astoria Ballroom was exactly what I was looking for. I called and scheduled my first lesson with Alex. Four years later, I’m happy to say that I found what I was looking for, and I’m thrilled.
So, if you’re looking to learn how to dance (not just learn the steps), I couldn’t recommend Astoria Ballroom any higher.

Alex and Midori are the most generous dance teachers who share all the techniques in body movement, they are dedicated and enthusiastic in teaching, they even tailor training for each individual. I have been with them for four years and have been coming to this beautiful studio to practice every day, I enjoy my improvement and feel like living in my childhood dream as a dancer.

Many years ago, I was fortunate to have learned to dance from a superb teacher, who understood how to teach technique. Unfortunately, 1) he stopped teaching dance and is now a fireman/​paramedic. 2) After that, I took lessons (group and private) from many teachers and was always disappointed. — When I discovered Astoria Ballroom, I finally found the quality of teaching I was looking for. I’ve now been taking lessons from Alex and Midori for 9 months and am happy make a Unilocal recommendation for Astoria Ballroom. You won’t have to sign a long-​term contract, and they do their best to make their students feel welcomed – no matter what your dance level. If you want the best, this is it.

The facility is beautiful and I felt welcomed as soon as I entered the studio. I took a few group classes and learned a couple of dances, I didn’t have a partner but I had so much fun! I didn’t have to worry about anything during the class because the group classes were small enough for the teachers to give you more attention, so you can learn more than just steps. The teachers are very knowledgable and their private lessons are so unique compared to other studios. But never thought that dancing involved so much depth, lol! I guess that makes the dancing look amazing! Definitly worth experiencing it for sure!!!