Joanne began her career as a dance teacher by holding classes in her garage in Newport Beach to make a little money during World War II.  Very quickly, she had over 100 students, and began opening dance school locations around Orange County.  The photo above is Pepito and Joanne’s first dance school in Santa Ana.  It was a dark green house, located at 17th and Main Streets.  When the Irvine Company wanted the land back for other purposes, Pepito and Joanne needed to find a new location.  Fortunately, a friend found them an old Victorian house nearby, at the corner of 15th and Ross Streets in Santa Ana.  Initially, they rented only the rear portion for their dance studio, but eventually they purchased the house.  That Victorian house on Ross Street was owned by Pepito and Joanne from approximately 1951, until  Joanne’s death in 2004. 

Special thanks to Shirley Gardner for submitting this vintage photo.