Palomar Ballroom Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, California

Gaurav K.

I have been taking dance lessons at Palomar Ballroom with Whitney, and I am beyond thrilled with my experience! From the moment I walked into the studio, I felt welcomed and supported. Whitney is an exceptional instructor who combines technical expertise with an encouraging and patient teaching style.

My journey into dancing has been nothing short of transformative. I used to run away from anything to do with dance, feeling self-conscious and unsure of my abilities. However, Whitney’s warm and approachable demeanor quickly put me at ease. Her ability to break down complex steps into manageable parts has been instrumental in my progress. Her keen eye for detail ensures that I am always improving and refining my technique.

Whitney creates a fun and engaging learning environment that makes every lesson something to look forward to. What truly sets Whitney apart is her genuine passion for dance and her dedication to her students’ success. She takes the time to understand each student’s goals and tailors her instruction to help them achieve their best. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she inspires confidence and joy in every class.

The Palomar Ballroom itself is a fantastic venue, with a welcoming community and a vibrant atmosphere. The combination of a great instructor like Whitney and the wonderful environment makes it the perfect place to learn and grow as a dancer. Now, I find myself longing for my private lessons, eager to see what new skills and techniques I will learn.

I highly recommend Whitney and the Palomar Ballroom to anyone looking to embark on a dance journey. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced dancer, you will find the perfect blend of challenge and support here. Thank you, Whitney, for making my dance experience so incredible and for turning my apprehension into a newfound passion!

D. E.

The Palomar Ballroom is the best place in Santa Cruz to learn ballroom, Swing and Salsa. Knowledgeable, skilled instructors. Beautiful, historical ballroom. Miss that salsa instructor Darci, she was the best 😁💃 But the other teachers are great too, you should sign up for classes, highly recommend!

Christy V.

My husband and I had been wanting to take salsa Classes for many years now and we finally were able to, Jeremy has always been a great teacher, he loves what he does, he correct us when we are wrong so we can keep improving which we really appreciate, it’s a safe and fun environment and makes us forget about our problems when we are there. Whitney is also really good at teaching, speaking by personal experience and that of other friends of ours. Keep up the good work guys

wildeflowers

Palomar is THE best place to take ballroom dance lessons around. Jeremy, the owner and instructor, is a fantastic dancer and gives great lessons. He's patient, kind, effective at teaching, but makes it great fun. I've met and seen some of the other instructors and they are all excellent instructors as well.

Palomar also offers group lesson, and has been doing virtual lessons so no reason to miss out if you can't get into the classroom. They have great dance parties as well, where you can socialize and practice your skills.

I'm so grateful to Palomar and the staff for providing such an excellent dance environment here in Santa Cruz.

Gabriel C.

I danced 7 days a week, 2-4 hours a day from December 2019 -March 2020. All the instructors are passionate about Dance, have strong competencies, and have a variety of different pedagogy approaches. Palomar is still one of my favorite businesses in Santa Cruz; however, Covid turned me onto to other artistic ventures for the time being. Thank you to Jeremy, Whitney, Mario, Jess, Zak, Katie, and Zeynap. I miss all of you and definitely felt like I was a part of the community. It is to my understanding that Palomar is offering online classes as well during these times. If you are interested in learning or fine tuning your Social Dancing skills in Santa Cruz County, this place is the best!

scott R.

Ballroom dancing are great exercises for me and my wife. Palomar is pretty close to my house, and spacious. Reasonable price and good music. We come here 2-3 times every week.

Gabriel G.

Note: I read some older low reviews on here and believe people got this mixed up with the restaurant downstairs or are talking about Santa Cruz city two stories down and outside. They're complaints have nothing to do with the actual ballroom or classes. I dare anyone to find such a historic classy ballroom for at least 20 miles.

I love this place and it is simply, by far, the best ballroom dancing resource in Santa Cruz County! Basically, it's excellent and there really isn't another option.

Pros:
- Awesome Instructors
- Variety of dance styles. Primarily:
- East/West coast swing
- Salsa
- Argentine Tango
- Rhumba
- Foxtrot
- Charleston
- Lindyhop
- Cha Cha
- Variatry of class styles
- Drop in's great for beginners
- Series classes to really improve for different levels
- Dance parties for practice and a real fun event
- Private single or couples lessons
- Excellent package deals to fit your needs and budget
- Beautiful huge historical ballroom that immediately makes you want to dance
- Central location that pairs well with other events before or after
- Fun and effective learning
- Frequent rotation of dance partners makes the whole thing less intimidating for new people

Cons:
- No main classes on Thursdays
- Difficult to coordinate classes between their two locations, one in Scott's Valley and in Santa Cruz, if you are trying to attend multiple series classes
- Would like more advanced Tango and Cha Cha series classes

Far more pros than cons, I give it 5 stars, and would highly recommend 😁👍

Courtney L.

The Palomar Ballroom is a fantastic place to learn a new skill, be active, meet some amazing people, and be a part of a beautiful community. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to learn a new skill or be active!