Dance school · San Diego, CA · reviewed since 2016
iHow the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%100+58.7Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 100Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews.100SCORE
AGradeiLetter from the Experts Score: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39, F = under 20.
#1 of 28 dance studiosiPosition by Experts Score among all companies we track in this category. · better than 100%
5.0★★★★★184 Google reviews · 24 photos
100%five-star reviews
5.00★last 12 monthsiAverage stars on reviews from the last 12 months only.
0%1–2★ in 2 yearsiShare of 1–2★ reviews in the last 24 months — or the 20 newest reviews when the company had fewer than 20 in that time.
Customers report that The First Dance Place offers private wedding dance packages, typically involving five to eight sessions, where instructors create custom choreography tailored to individual skill levels. Reviewers highlight the supportive teaching style, song editing services, and the confidence gained by couples with no prior experience. While some note the initial cost is higher than expected, many consider the investment worthwhile for the quality of the final performance and the enjoyable learning process.
Google rating: 5.0 out of 5 from 184 reviews (100% five-star).
Reviews on this page: 184 Google reviews (182 with written comments, 51 with photos).
Owner responses: the business replied to 90% of reviews.
Most recent review: October 30, 2026.
Service: Dance Studio serving San Diego, California.
Data from Google, last updated November 1, 2026.
Score profile vs other dance studios
Score per factor (100 = best)iEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (star average, share of 1–2★ reviews, price verdicts…); standing within the category can only raise it, never lower it.. Strongest: satisfaction and value; weakest: reliability.
The First Dance PlaceDance Studios median0 = centre, 100 = best
SatisfactioniSatisfaction · 54% of the scoreRecency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.The First Dance Place: 100/100 on this factor. Category median: 91.A
100
ReliabilityiReliability · 24% of the scoreHow rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.The First Dance Place: 99/100 on this factor. Category median: 93.A
99
Craft & serviceiCraft & service · penalty only, up to −10 pointsGoogle review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.Not enough reviews for this factor yet. Category median: 95.–
–
ValueiValue · 14% of the scoreCustomers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.The First Dance Place: 100/100 on this factor. Category median: 97.A
100
MomentumiMomentum · penalty only, up to −10 pointsPenalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.The First Dance Place: 100/100 on this factor. Category median: 100.A
100
Replies to reviewsiReplies to reviews · 7% of the scoreHow often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.Not enough reviews for this factor yet. Category median: 51.–
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Bar = this company · dark tick = category median.
Star ratings
184 Google reviews we collected
5.0of 5
5 stars184100%
4 stars00%
3 stars00%
2 stars00%
1 star00%
Praise vs complaints
Phrases our text analysis found in 182 written reviews
91%praise
Praise23091%
Complaints249%
PriceiGoogle asks reviewers whether the price was great, reasonable or overpriced; these are their answers.
Price verdicts customers left with their Google review
100%fair
Great price1141%
Reasonable1659%
Overpriced00%
Not sure00%
Topic share
How often each topic comes up in the written reviews
7topics
Would recommend9437%
Staff & attitude6124%
Speed & response2510%
Communication229%
Quality & results197%
Price & value177%
Honesty & trust166%
What customers talk about
We read 182 written reviews and marked every phrase about these topics. The same colors are highlighted in the reviews.
“We're so glad we went to the First Dance Place and highly recommend it to others!”
“Katie is truly the best, and we could not recommend her enough!”
“…ck away with 4 because we practiced a lot at home, but it was really nice to not be stressed at all about our dance thanks to The First Dance Place!…”
“Our lessons quickly became something we looked forward to every week—it felt like a little date night and such a fun break from all the craziness of w…”
“definitely not the boring slow dance sway we really wanted to avoid :) It was so nice to develop confidence with dancing as well- by the end we were b…”
“Neither of us knew what to expect going into it, but she was so patient, encouraging, and incredibly easy to work with.”
“We'd also love to go back for lessons just for fun; it's an amazing experience for a couple and we loved every second of it.”
“…e both very comfortable with going with the flow and knew that if we “messed up” we could keep things together and keep going!…”
“Taking dance lessons for your first dance is definitely worth it!”
“It was such a fun way to spend time together leading up to the wedding, and Katie made every lesson something we genuinely looked forward to.”
People customers mention
Katie117 reviews
Cori20 reviews
Park4 reviews
Merabel4 reviews
praise complaint · found by our text analysis, Google review wording unchanged.
Reviews for your job
Customers hired The First Dance Place for 5 kinds of job. Pick one to see what they paid and said.
DDougLocal Guide · 32 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 2 days ago★★★★★
Absolutely amazing experience. We didn’t want a crazily choreographed dance that looked fake and Katie made it simply perfect. We had a total of 5 sessions and it was perfect. Probably could’ve snuck away with 4 because we practiced a lot at home, but it was really nice to not be stressed at all about our dance…
MMatt9 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · a week ago★★★★★
Katie was amazing. She was very intentional in each class about designing the dance, and she made sure each part of the dance was perfected before we moved on to the next segment. She was very hands-on, sent us home with video recordings of our dance, and she even went the extra mile and trimmed our song perfectly…
Reasonable pricePrivate lessonsWedding planning
KKathrynLocal Guide · 13 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · a week ago★★★★★
Katie is such an easy going and talented dance instructor - we absolutely loved working with her! Going into the lessons, My fiance and I weren't sure if we’d end up doing a choreographed dance at the reception—we just wanted to try it out and have fun together. We went with the 8 lesson course about 10 weeks out…
JJerileeLocal Guide · 14 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 2 weeks ago★★★★★
We had the BEST experience with Katie! From our very first lesson, she made us feel completely comfortable and made learning our first dance so much fun. Neither of us knew what to expect going into it, but she was so patient, encouraging, and incredibly easy to work with.
Our lessons quickly became something we…
Private lessons
RRena5 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 weeks ago★★★★★
We did the 8 lesson first dance package and could not have loved the experience more!! From the very first lesson, Katie listened to our dreams for our first dance and made us feel comfortable and confident. Throughout the lessons she taught us so many cool steps and made learning to dance approachable and fun - we…
Private lessonsWedding planning
KKevin7 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 weeks ago★★★★★
Katie, as many others have said, is the best - she's super approachable and fun to work with. We weren't sure what to expect, but as far as reflecting on our wedding planning, our dance lessons were among our highlights. She's five stars across the board for good reason. While the initial cost seems somewhat costly,…
Absolutely amazing experience. We didn’t want a crazily choreographed dance that looked fake and Katie made it simply perfect. We had a total of 5 sessions and it was perfect. Probably could’ve snuck away with 4 because we practiced a lot at home, but it was really nice to not be stressed at all about our dance thanks to The First Dance Place!!! Could not recommend this more!! And if you’re a guy looking to surprise your soon-to-be-wife with a fun weekly date night …. That’s exactly what I did ;)
Fyi don’t get confused her studio is inside a shared yoga studio in South Park and has plenty of street parking and easy to find!
I
Ilyssa SilvermanLocal Guide · 13 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Ilyssa has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
My husband and I had a package of 8 private lessons for our wedding first dance and it was the best decision we made! Katie not only helped us learn fun and useful dance moves and steps from scratch, but helped us feel confident and in sync as a pair! She is so kind, warm, and professional, and she is an excellent instructor. While planning a wedding can be stressful at times, this was one of our greatest de-stressors. Katie thought of everything - e.g., rehearsing in our dancing shoes, finding the right length for our song, teaching us to feel rhythm. Plus, the day of the wedding, we wowed everyone with our moves and had fun doing it! While our wedding day is now over, we still love dancing to our first dance song together and doing all the steps we learned. We can now apply those steps to other songs, too! We'd also love to go back for lessons just for fun; it's an amazing experience for a couple and we loved every second of it. We're so glad we went to the First Dance Place and highly recommend it to others!
Services: Private lessons
Response from the owner · 5 days ago
Thank you for trusting me to help choreograph your First Dance! I’m so glad your guests were WOWED!! All kudos to you guys for putting in the practice. Congratulations!!
I would love to have you back anytime.
M
Matt Young9 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Matt has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Katie was amazing. She was very intentional in each class about designing the dance, and she made sure each part of the dance was perfected before we moved on to the next segment. She was very hands-on, sent us home with video recordings of our dance, and she even went the extra mile and trimmed our song perfectly so that we could dance to our favorite parts of the song.
The confidence we had on our wedding day going into the dance was all because of Katie. Our guests are still talking about our big twirl. It would have been impossible without you. Thank you so much. Highly recommend!!
Price assessment: Reasonable price
Services: Private lessons, Wedding planning
Response from the owner · a week ago
Thank you so much for dropping me this review, Matt! It was my pleasure getting to work with you guys on your First Dance! What a stellar routine and incredible lift!! Proud of you!
K
Kathryn NguyenLocal Guide · 13 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Kathryn has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Katie is such an easy going and talented dance instructor - we absolutely loved working with her! Going into the lessons, My fiance and I weren't sure if we’d end up doing a choreographed dance at the reception—we just wanted to try it out and have fun together. We went with the 8 lesson course about 10 weeks out from our wedding, which ended up being the perfect amount of time for us to get comfortable with our routine. By the time the wedding came around we were still nervous about dancing in front of everyone, but Katie gave us the confidence to go for it, and we are SO glad we did! We had so much fun and the crowd loved it. We owe it to Katie for being so patient and moving us at the pace she thought was right. Book her lessons whether it's a crash course before your wedding or just for fun!
Response from the owner · 5 days ago
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you guys WENT FOR IT!!! I really appreciate you posting this review. Can’t wait to see more photos/videos of your First Dance!
J
Jerilee JaravataLocal Guide · 14 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Jerilee has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
We had the BEST experience with Katie! From our very first lesson, she made us feel completely comfortable and made learning our first dance so much fun. Neither of us knew what to expect going into it, but she was so patient, encouraging, and incredibly easy to work with.
Our lessons quickly became something we looked forward to every week—it felt like a little date night and such a fun break from all the craziness of wedding planning.
We were beyond happy with how our first dance turned out and felt so confident when it was finally time to do it on our wedding day. It ended up being such a special moment for us, and we have Katie to thank for helping make it happen. We would recommend her a million times over!
Services: Private lessons
Response from the owner · 5 days ago
Thank you JJ! Your dance turned out amazing! So excited for you guys!! Thank you so much for posting such a kind review!
R
Rena C5 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Rena has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
We did the 8 lesson first dance package and could not have loved the experience more!! From the very first lesson, Katie listened to our dreams for our first dance and made us feel comfortable and confident. Throughout the lessons she taught us so many cool steps and made learning to dance approachable and fun - we loved the final choreographed dance she created! We are so grateful that we took first dance lessons and our guests were impressed as well. I'd highly recommend taking lessons with The First Dance Place.
Services: Private lessons, Wedding planning
Response from the owner · 5 days ago
I’m so glad I could help create a First Dance that showcased your connection. My pleasure getting to work with you!!
K
Kevin Willefert7 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Kevin has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Katie, as many others have said, is the best - she's super approachable and fun to work with. We weren't sure what to expect, but as far as reflecting on our wedding planning, our dance lessons were among our highlights. She's five stars across the board for good reason. While the initial cost seems somewhat costly, it's a great gift to your partner and fairly negligible relative to what you spend on the wedding (as a whole). So if you're on the fence, bite the bullet as it'll lead to lots of laughs and leave you with a simple (for us at least), yet put together choreography for a lasting memory of your First Dance. Thanks again Katie :)
Our lessons with Katie at the First Dance Place were one of the highlights of our wedding planning process. Although we only had time for two lessons, we learned so much and felt confident when it came time to do our first dance. Katie was a great teacher and made the moves easy to digest. The lessons provided us with some much needed time together during the stressful process of wedding planning and we had so much fun learning a new skill together! We would definitely recommend the First Dance Place to anyone looking to learn a choreographed first dance!
Price assessment: Reasonable price
Services: Private lessons
Response from the owner · 3 weeks ago
Thank you, Claire! I'm so glad you stopped in for a couple lessons! Thank you so much for recommending us!
L
Lianne MasquelierLocal Guide · 12 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Lianne has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
We truly could not recommend Katie more! Taking dance lessons with her became one of our favorite parts of wedding planning. My now-husband and I looked forward to our lessons every week and would turn them into little date nights. It was such a fun way to spend time together leading up to the wedding, and Katie made every lesson something we genuinely looked forward to.
She is also just the absolute sweetest and made us feel so comfortable throughout the entire process. She choreographed the most beautiful first dance for us, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our wedding. We had SO many guests come up to us that night to tell us how amazing the dance was, how great we looked, and ask who taught us. Considering we both started out with two left feet, that was probably the highest compliment we could have received! We were very happy to send everyone Katie’s way.
Beyond creating an incredible first dance, Katie made the whole experience so much fun and gave us such a special memory from this season of our lives. We loved spending time with her so much that we’ll likely be back for more dance lessons just for fun. Katie is truly the best, and we could not recommend her enough!
Price assessment: Reasonable price
Services: Private lessons
Response from the owner · a month ago
Thank you so much for writing me this review, Lianne. I am so honored! It was truly, truly so fun getting to work with you guys. Hats off to you for crushing your First Dance at your wedding!! These photos are STUNNING! Would love to have you back for more lessons.
C
Caneel Young2 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Caneel has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
My fiancé and I had the best time learning from Katie! Neither of us our dancers (at all), but she made us feel so comfortable and confident on our wedding day. She was so incredibly warm that it put us at ease from the very beginning. We're so grateful for all her help!!!
Services: Private lessons
Response from the owner · 3 weeks ago
Thank you, Caneel! It was my sincere pleasure getting to work with you guys and you and your Dad! Much love.
