Focus Dance Center for the Performing Arts

My daughter went to this studio for about 5 years, but had a terrible experience. Monie, the studio director was rude and degrading, and she made my child cry multiple times. She had obvious favorites and when you did something wrong she would point it out to the class and make you feel terrible. Also, being a part of the competition team, there was a lot of studio drama between the teachers. A business should have a professional environment and the employees should at least be civil to each other. My daughter, passionate for dance and loved it with all her heart, was excited to join this studio but had an awful overall experience. I do not recommend the teachers monie and noelle is you want a good experience here. However, heather, though tough, you could tell that she was passionate about her students and truly wanted them to improve.

I was hesitant when my daughter wanted to dance. Figured it was a catty environment and maybe it is at other studios, I don’t know. But not at all here! Was pleasantly surprised at how supportive the girls are to each other here. Truly amazing. Family feeling. Very safe. My daughter has learned so much and it has been great for her growth and confidence. The teachers really understand each kid and helps them to shine!

My daughter has been dancing here since she was a tot, and even though there are other dance studios closer to where we live, we’ve chosen to make the extra little drive because we are so happy with the instructors here. My daughter discovered her passion for dance here and it continues to grow because they are so good at cultivating a desire to improve and challenge oneself as a dancer. Her experience on the competing team has not only helped her grow as a dancer, but has also taught her life lessons with regard to teamwork, accountability, and humility. The studio also has a significant number of male students, which you don’t always see in dance studios, and this is why my son decided to try dance a few years ago. I don’t think he would have been as open to it if he had not seen the number of other boys in the classes. He is now also on the competing team, and has made some great friends in his classes. This studio is a great choice for you if you are looking for a place to try a variety of dance genres and want to be exposed to well-​versed instructors.

Very knowledgeable staff, clean and safe environment for all ages. The owner is extremely hands on and exceptional! I went here for over 5 years and still come back for adult classes. I would recommend this studio as a step above the rest!

Just in case anyone is looking for a dance studio. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Focus Dance Center. Jacob has been there for over 10 years and it has been such a huge part of his life and our family. He has grown into an incredible dancer and is so well-​prepared for auditions to college dance programs this coming year. Our director Monie Adamson and all of our choreographers are beyond amazing, not just in their talent and skills that they are teaching the dancers, but in every way. They are so much more than teachers, they are mentors, friends, motivators, and everything else. They teach them how to dance, they choreograph amazing numbers that let them shine, they give them confidence, they inspire greatness, they help them believe in themselves and their abilities, they push them, they challenge them, they cheer for them, they laugh with them, they cry with them, they stay at the studio until practically the wee hours of the morning dancing and talking about their passions and their interests and their lives. They even put weird sports tape stuff on the cracks in between their toes! When I think about The fact that this is Jacob’s senior year and his last year as a dancer at this amazing studio, I get tears in my eyes every time because I am not ready for this to end, but he is a TA at the studio and now a substitute teacher and I am sure will ultimately be involved in a teaching/​choreographing capacity, so our involvement with focus is not ending. Focus is more than a dance studio, it is our family.

We’ve had a chance to dance at four different studios in Orange County and Focus Dance Center is one of the BEST! Our family has been at FDC since our nine-​year old daughter was three years old (since 2008) and we have had the pleasure to watch the studio develop and evolve into one top– notch dance studio that caters to every type of dancer. Whether you’d like your child to start dance as a hobby or be a serious competitive dancer, Focus creates an environment that suits your needs. They offer classes for all kinds of dance from ballet to breakdancing. We are so impressed at the level of customer service provided by the owner and artistic director Monie Adamson and her office staff. She has many excellent teachers, many who have been with her since Focus was opened many years ago. As a dance lover my daughter has spent a few years of her dance life dancing at two studios simultaneously. With this experience under our belt, we were able to compare how different studios operate as a business. With one particular studio, which shared the same recital venue as Focus, it was interesting to watch the different processes involved in preparing for a recital. While one studio left it up to the parents’ discretion to order the costume size for their child, Focus provided a more customer– friendly and professional experience by taking individual measurements for each dancer and using their knowledge and expertise to order costumes. Pricing for recital seats was also different with the other studio charging more for the same venue. Focus recitals are truly an experience! Each recital includes a special guest appearance from a professional company/​dancer and each routine is professionally staged (lighting, etc.). Finally one of the main highlights of the Focus concerts is the closing piece, where you can truly experience FDC choreography, staging, lighting, and faculty/​alumni at its finest!
As a competition dancer, our family (my son also dances) has also had the opportunity to experience the other side of dance. At Focus, it feels as though the competition team lives by the philosophy, «Let Them Dance!» Dancers are provided many opportunities to take different dance styles and can be a recreational competition dancer (only participating in large group dances) or a hard-​core competition dancer (adding small groups, solos, duets, or trios as part of the experience).
With Focus you don’t just get a studio– you get a dance community that is there to provide your dancer with a positive and fulfilling dance experience.

My young daughter took their creative ballet class and liked her teacher well enough. Monthly fees were reasonable. But when it came time for the recital, this studio shockingly bilked its clients – costume fees ($ 80), makeup kit fees ($ 50) and makeup sessions that they ask the parents to attend, every child participating in the recital must have a $ 20 ticket if they want to see the rest of the show after they perform, and every family member – including my 4-​month-​old-​infant who will be on my lap – must also purchase a $ 20 ticket. I’m outraged at how this has been handled and that this first-​time recital that should be fun for a group of 3 – 5 year-​olds has become an ordeal that our family cannot afford to even participate in. My suggestions to the studio: give some complementary tickets to the dancers. Have someone there to put makeup on the kids and don’t try to sell makeup kits to your clients that benefits some Mary Kay representative. Let babies attend the show for free.
And one last observation: young children in the jazz/​funk classes wear costumes that are very skimpy – Times Square hooker skimpy – and I personally was uncomfortable witnessing some of the sexualized choreography in those classes. I’m not a typically conservative person, but I believe young girls should be able to be children.
I would not return to this studio.

I love Focus because of Boogiezone. There’s always good choreographers and fun classes, and $ 10/​class is a good deal. The rooms are somewhat small, but I guess it’s quality over quantity.

For some reason, people flip out when they hear that I’m a hip hop dancer. I guess I don’t give off the dancer vibe, much less the hip hop coolness. Maybe they’re just surprised because I’m a little awkward and not always too sure of how to move my body in normal social situations. But please believe me when I say I’ve been a hip hop dancer (yes, America’s Best Dance Crew-​style) for about nine years now. Holy heck, when I count it on my fingers like that I feel super old.
Anyways, Focus is well-​known in the hip hop dance community in Orange County because of Boogiezone, who holds classes at the studio on Tuesday nights at 8:30pm for $ 10 (shameless plug alert). The classes are always awesome — they curate their teachers to give you great variety of styles and skill levels. Plus the vibe in the classes is always positive and no one is ever publicly stoned or humiliated for doing a move wrong. If you are looking for a good hip hop class, seriously check out
(/​end shameless plug).
Focus has always been a great venue for Boogiezone, albeit a little small. BZ has really great and often famous teachers in the house and it can get pretty packed. I haven’t really been able to interact with the actual studio staff, most of my interaction has been with Boogiezone staff members, so I can’t speak on them or any of the other classes. But the venue itself is well-​lit and always very clean. You can tell they take pride in the studio. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of trash on the floor and the mirrors are always clean before class begins.
Parking can be madness. You know that show Dance Moms? Take all that cray cray and put it behind the wheels of 20 SUVs all circling a parking lot. KILL ME NOW. Just remember to watch your back, and your front, and your sides. These ladies are out of their minds.

I would like to state that Focus is an awesome dance studio! My daughter has been dancing at Focus for almost 4 years now and has flourished as a dancer. She loves all of her instructors and has made good friends. Everyone here is kind. No «Dance Moms» here! The registration process is much better. You register on line and are given at date and time to come. The end of year concert is not just a recital but a very professional show. You will be so proud of your child up there on that big stage with the lights being in the pretty costume and beaming with pride and confidence. That is what focus gives your child, pride and confidence! I live between to big studios in Huntington Beach and choose to drive Irvine to be with the best!

I completely agree with Sue t. The place is unorganized, the registration process is ridiculous and just the general way they handle everything is terrible. I finally got my daughter registered, paid for 2 months, registration fee, etc. Bought her clothes, etc. She went twice, but told me she didn’t like the teacher at the end of the second class and refused to go back. She really liked ballet, but didn’t like the teacher I went back to explain everything to them, and get a refund for whatever was owed to me. Due to an error that they committed in their system (which didn’t match the CORRECT information on my receipt) they would not give me the refund due to me — just ½. Whoever input the information did it incorrectly and though everything I explained to them made perfect sense, the girl looked at me, shrugged, pointed to the computer and said «well but the computer says this. So I can only ask them to give you $ 50 instead of the $ 100.» Worst service. So my daughter went to 2 classes but in total they kept $ 103.00 of everything I paid. 2 most expensive classes I’ve paid for.
I wouldn’t do it again. Good learning experience because you probably don’t know how unorganized they are until you go through the whole thing.

Great reliable dance studio home to boogiezone community and contemporary classes ($ 10). I started off my dance career here through those classes and they have been an amazing community to be a part of. The studio is big, clean, beautiful, and well lit. The staff is friendly and helpful. I’ve used the other studios before too, for other classes or DOC practice. This place keeps coming up and I’m glad to see it stay busy.

Weekly spot for Boogiezone’s community hiphop classes on Tuesdays and community contemporary classes on Wednesdays. Classes are always $ 10 throughout the Boogiezone network. Can’t beat that!

My daughter went there for almost a year (mommy and me and first ballet class) with the same teacher Ms Christine (gone?), she really enjoyed it though I found the mommy and me repetitive (on purpose)
Registering is a big deal, go before 7am to get a time to come back another day to register (and my husband who went said that there were lots and lots of parents waiting that morning because places fill up quickly) — that was ridiculous! The monthly fee is very reasonable once you get in

Focus Dance Center is the home of
. They host some of the best weekly classes on Tuesdays that a dance company could offer; bringing some of the best hip hop choreographers in the world. I love how they have new guest instructors on a weekly basis because it broadens my dance vocabulary and provides the necessary training needed in order to better myself as a dancer. It’s an organized, friendly, and communal environment that every dancer loves being around. The CEO of Boogiezone (Elm Pizarro) along with his staff work night and day to make sure they deliver only the best.
Classes are affordable ($ 10) and are on Tuesdays from 8:30pm to 10pm.
I highly recommend the Boogiezone community class to anyone looking to become a better dancer.

I danced here for 2 years, ages 17, and 18. I did hip-​hop, which was super fun. I’ve been dancing ever since I was 10 years old, and when I moved to Newport Coast, this was one of the dance centers I came across. I danced here for two years, and it was pretty fun. My 7 year old sister has been dancing here for 3 years now, and she is still doing it. I stopped after I joined cosmetology school, because it was interfering with my school schedule. I don’t dance anymore though, it’s not my life anymore, but I’ll always remember what a fantastic dancer center this is. Some of the teachers however are rude and arrogant, but I’m willing to over look that, because one of the teachers I had was great, and I know the owner too, a she is a very nice lady.

If you’re into performing Hip Hop dance, this is the place to be Tuesday nights at 830 pm. I’ve been going here for about 3 weeks now and i love this place. This website called
hosts a class here every tuesday night and they have guest instructors and choreographers from around the world come and teach here. I’m not talking about just your local choreographers, I’m talking about the pros who actually choreograph for your favorite singers and performers. The only reasons i don’t give this place a 5 star is because of the fact that it’s kinda hidden away behind a restaurant or two and the studio is really small so you dont really get a lot of breathing room and moving room. I still really like this place though!