ATOMIC Ballroom, in Partnership with Visit Newport Beach, Helped Set the Guinness World Records™ Title for the World’s Largest Swing Dance Lesson Featuring Balboa!
The Atomic Ballroom dance community, the vintage-loving crowd, Newport Beach locals, residents of greater Orange County, and friends from Los Angeles and beyond showed up in a big way to support the effort.
Together, 579 couples (1,158 people) attended the official lesson, breaking the previous Guinness World Records™ title of 391 pairs set in the United Kingdom in 2018. Breaking that record was a huge moment for the Balboa community, made even more meaningful because it happened right here in Newport Beach, where Balboa first began at the Rendezvous Ballroom.
Breaking the record in and of itself is special and historic, but even more importantly, it put Balboa—the dance—on the map and showcased a living, breathing community.
The event featured the Jonathan Stout Orchestra featuring Hilary Alexander, both Balboa dancers who have been an important part of the Balboa legacy; Jeremy Otth and Tise Chao, who have learned from the originators and continue their traditions today; emcee and Atomic Co-Owner Shesha Marvin; onstage assistants Andrew Jose and Kelly Young, both Orange County legacy dancers; a dedicated crew of community leader “captains” and “stewards.”
Keeping things moving behind the scenes and on stage; Atomic Ballroom Manager Mikey Pedroza. Mikey is also an Orange County legacy dancer who also got his start learning from the originators of Balboa and was an integral part of this attempt every step of the way.
Pulling it all together with the team at Visit Newport Beach, Atomic Co-Owner Nikki Klaus-Pedroza served as the connective tissue between the city and the dance communities. She ensured the event highlighted our legends, featured our future, and cemented Balboa, the larger swing dance community, and Atomic Ballroom in Newport Beach history.
Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this historic event together—we did it!
Grab the Merch
Shop ATOMIC Ballroom merch to celebrate the Guinness World Records™ title for the World’s Largest Swing Dance Lesson featuring Balboa. Grab your shirt, rep the moment, and take home a fun piece of this historic day.
Media Coverage
The record-setting day was also featured by local media and community outlets, helping spread the excitement of Balboa’s historic moment in Newport Beach. Coverage included the Daily Pilot, Los Angeles Times, NBC Los Angeles, Newport Beach Independent, and Visit Newport Beach.
Meet the Teachers
The official record-setting lesson was taught by Jeremy Otth and Tise Chao, two world-renowned Balboa dancers and teachers whose deep knowledge and love of the dance helped make this historic moment possible. Both have dedicated years to preserving and sharing Balboa, and both learned directly from dancers connected to the original Balboa era at the Rendezvous Ballroom. Having Jeremy and Tise lead the lesson made this event even more meaningful, bringing authentic history, experience, and heart to the floor as hundreds of dancers came together to help set the record.
Live Music Thank You
A huge thank you to The Jonathan Stout Orchestra featuring Hilary Alexander for helping make this day so special. Their live music brought the whole event to life and added so much joy, energy, and heart to this historic celebration. Setting the Guinness World Records™ title was an incredible milestone, and having music of this caliber in the air made the moment feel even more meaningful from beginning to end.
Jonathan Stout and Hilary Alexander are not only incredible bandleaders and deeply connected to this music, but true lovers of Balboa itself, with more than 30 years of experience dancing it. Having musicians who understand both the sound and the soul of this dance made all the difference. We were honored to have them be such an important part of this unforgettable day.
What Is Balboa?
Balboa is a style of swing dance that originated on the Balboa Peninsula during the Big Band era. It began as a close-embrace dance designed for the crowded Rendezvous Ballroom, then evolved to include the turns, spins, and open movement called Bal-Swing. Its roots are deeply tied to Newport Beach and the legendary Rendezvous Ballroom, making this event a meaningful celebration of local history and culture.
About Atomic Ballroom
Located in Irvine, California, Atomic Ballroom is the country’s top social dance studio, offering regular Balboa and Lindy Hop classes every week. Co-owners Nikki and Mikey Klaus-Pedroza and Shesha Marvin are proud to partner with Visit Newport Beach on this special event. Atomic Ballroom instructors will be on site to help participants follow along. And yes, we specialize in two left feet.
This event is also endorsed by local historians, the Pacific Swing Dance Foundation, and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame.
Thank You
We are beyond grateful to everyone who helped make this event such a huge success. Setting this record was an incredible milestone, but the real heart of the day was the community that came together to celebrate Balboa, Newport Beach history, and the joy of dancing together. Thank you for showing up and making it all happen.
