Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association

Just recently took the introduction to ballroom dance class (level 1) and it was fabulous.  My boyfriend and I wanted to learn to dance and this seemed like the place to do it.  The instructors are fabulous, super patient with the two of us (he gets nervous, I have difficulty following) and turning us into confident dancers by the end of the 5 week session (normally 6 weeks but the 4th of July holiday fell on the 6th week so they cut it short).  Every class we reviewed what we had learned before which was helpful and then learned a new fun step.  The classes went over the hour mark each time, which I appreciated because I feel like the instructors cared more about making sure we had learned everything than worrying about the strict hour mark.  

We just recently attended a wedding and it was fabulous to dance around doing the foxtrot (even if we were the only ones dancing so formally).  We laughed and it was comfortable, a huge credit to how fabulous the instructors are.  Can't wait to take Level 2!

I asked my now husband to dance here and I'm so glad he said yes!:) we love their teaching style. They r so cute and friendly.  It gets a bit pricey for a couple on some event nights, but $15 isn't bad to hear a big band! I understand why, u wanna support good bands, but we wish we weren't so busy. Fun way to exercise!

The Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association is located in the Grace Hall of the Grace Lutheran Church.  This was the first Swing Dance venue I attended (back in December 2011).  I went on a Saturday when they had their '50s night.  Every Saturday night there are live Swing bands.  Parking was not hard to find and it was free.  The cover is $15 and raffle prizes are given.  There are refreshments outside the ballroom.  I took the free lesson from Erin Stevens.  She is a good instructor and was also the dance partner of the great Frankie Manning.  

I'm giving this place 3 stars because of the dance scene here.  A majority of the people who dance here are at least middle-aged.  I've seen a handful of 20 and 30-somethings (around my age range).  It was nice that I could rotate with different leads during the free class and I was able to dance with only a few of them, so the social scene was pretty cliquish.  Mind you, this was back when I was a total beginner to Swing.  Not a lot of the leads here (especially the experienced ones) have the patience to dance with beginning follows.  During one of the lessons, I was trying to learn a simple tuck turn for the first time and one of the more experienced leads didn't listen to Erin's instructions on correct hand positioning for leads (to do the tuck turn) and I tried to tactfully and nicely point it out to him and he bluntly said, "Doesn't matter!!"  I wasn't being mean or anything like that.  I was only trying to help!!!  I later saw him on the dance floor with another follow trying to show off.  When I dance with leads like himself, I don't ever bother dancing with them again.  It's just really off-putting to me.  Now that I'm more experienced and have social danced at other venues (for the past 9 months) I don't know if the social scene will change the next time I go.  I would rather go dance somewhere else that is worth my time and my money and has a friendly/patient scene.  

The live bands, refreshments, and raffle prizes are great, but the dance scene didn't really make me happy....just okay.  If I were to go here again, I'd come with a friend or a group of friends. I would go social dance here again if it were not for the cliques.