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“Balboa Swing” world record set in Newport Beach with 1,000-plus dancers doing iconic move

April 20, 2026

The famed Rendezvous Ballroom dance floor was so packed, couples would have to do their moves in a close embrace, posture upright while doing short half steps, swiftly shuffling their feet as the partners stepped out and in, over and over, in a rhythmic swing.

The moves became so popular, the dancing was dubbed the “Balboa Swing” — a style born in Newport Beach that would become wildly popular in the 1930s.

The dance of yesterday was brought back in full swing on Sunday, April 19, near the same spot where the Rendezvous Ballroom once stood, an iconic jazz hall built in 1928 near the base of the Balboa Pier.

Hundreds of dancers came together not just to have a collective dance party at Peninsula Park, but to earn a spot in the Guinness World Records for the World’s Largest Swing Dance Lesson.

Rachel Brown and Lucas Kam warm up before helping set a new Guinness World Records for the Largest Swing Dance Lesson on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Newport Beach. 579 couples beat out the the previous number of 391 couples. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The previous record of 391 pairs was set in 2018 by a United Kingdom dance troop, said Ashley Johnson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Visit Newport Beach, who organized the effort.

On Sunday, 579 pairs of dancers swung into the record book.

The world record attempt kicked off the coastal town’s 120th anniversary celebration, which will continue with monthly events throughout the rest of the year, Johnson said.

“Each month we are celebrating a different decade,” she said, noting the dance gathering was an homage to the 1930s.

In the city’s early years, people would flock to Newport Beach from Los Angeles and elsewhere for beach vacations, a tourist town that visitors fell in love with, buying second homes or moving in permanently.

The Rendezvous Ballroom burned down in 1938, was rebuilt and drew big names such as Dick Dale and the Beach Boys, until it burned again and was permanently closed in 1966.

The instructors at the Atomic Ballroom, based in Costa Mesa, led the dance record effort, giving a step-by-step instruction to those who showed up, the Guinness World Record adjudicator counting the crowd.

The Jonathan Stout orchestra, featuring Hilary Alexander, performed for the crowd, the ocean just steps away.

“We are just so excited to be a part of history and just to have a fun sense of pride for the community and residents,” Johnson said.

Coming up next month, Visit Newport Beach will host an art exhibition, “12 Decades of Newport Beach,” focusing on tourism and iconic characters through the years. The following month will be a celebration at Fashion Island, which was developed in the 1960s.

“Balboa Swing” world record set in Newport Beach with 1,000-plus dancers doing iconic move Orange County Register

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“Balboa Swing” world record set in Newport Beach with 1,000-plus dancers doing iconic move

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