Aerial Arts NYC

2.5 stars as I don’t have the heart to give any aerial studio a 2-​star rating. I’ve never left a silks class so unfulfilled before. The instructor, Lani, was super sweet but I really don’t like the structure of classes here.
I’ve been taking one off silks classes since around Thanksgiving up in Boston and signed up for a beginner’s silks class at Aerial Arts while visiting NYC because there was one prerequisite for the advanced beginner class that I don’t fulfill (I have not worked on drops yet), and because the founder of the place told me to sign up for the beginner’s class.
First off, there were 6 people in a class sharing two silks. Um. What. That is literally absurd, I’ve never experienced so much down time in a class before.
«Beginner» classes here really encompasses a broad range of skill levels. There are people who have never done this. Then there are people who are like me and fall somewhere awkwardly between beginner and advanced beginner.
Lani ran us through some things that I haven’t learned or tried before so they were challenging due to the unfamiliarity, but frankly they weren’t tricks that I wanted to focus on. Every class I’ve been to at other studios where it’s not a session schedule, the instructor focuses on the individual to help them with what they want to learn. It was not the case here unfortunately. For example, I take a class up in Boston where you also just sign up for classes without a scheduled weekly session. There was a girl who was visiting from SF and the instructor worked on what she wanted to work on with her instead of trying to teach both of us the same thing because we’ve done different things in the past. Here, I was being taught the same thing as two other girls on tricks I didn’t want to focus on. I understand this is what happens when you have students sharing silks, but in that case classes should be smaller.
In all honesty I just wanted a place to practice, but there is only open studio on Fridays at Aerial Arts and I hadn’t arrived in NYC yet. I will say the instructors seem knowledgeable and offer great advice on technique, but signing up for a class here was a mistake.
There are a lot of other aerial studios in NYC. Go check those places out first.

Have you been harboring a secret fantasy about quitting your job and becoming a circus performer? This is your place then.
I took my first class at AANYC recently and the experience was amazing. I signed up for a beginner hammock class. The studio is located downstairs in a gym space in Midtown East. The check in process was fairly standard, simple waiver. Then you go downstairs to the gym entrance. There is no locker area downstairs but it seemed fine to leave your belongings stacked up against the wall. Longer tights, past your knee, are essential for all the rotating and shifting you will do in the hammock or with silks.
My hammock class was three people, all beginners, to two hammocks. Our teacher Kate would show us a move and then we would all take turns practicing it on both sides. Having never done hammock or silks before it was surprisingly easy to just start doing it, you just have to go for it. There was plenty of time to repeat moves if you were having trouble getting them as well. Kate did a great job of coaching us through the movements and making adjustments as we went along.
It was awesome that multiple classes/​open practice was happening in the gym at the same time. I got to watch a beginner silks class (which I want to try next). Additionally I got to watch teachers (I think) honing their craft, very awe inducing.
Waking up the next day every muscle in my arms and back! It’s a great strength workout and I can’t wait to go again!

Love coming to this place! Everyone is so nice and welcoming. It’s a great place to come after work to see friendly faces and do some awesome tricks while getting a work out. Everyone has so much patience here and never makes you feel like you can’t do something! Home away from home!

This place is really hidden and hard to find the first time.
I had Brenna for Basic Silk. She was very nice and helpful. She was able to juggle 6 students, 4 of whom were Beginner level and 2 of whom were completely new. Thankfully I could climb right away because I’d been doing pole. But if I was more of a beginner at aerial it would’ve been more of a struggle.
It’s a big high-​ceiling gym like Chelsea Piers with several classes going on at the same time. The silk classes here don’t sell out as quickly as Body and Pole, which makes it easier for me.
I think they should have some Intro silk classes. The beginner class is for people who take it pretty regularly, not someone who’s never been on a silk or done anything aerial. Instructions for those two kinds of students are totally different.
Tip: after class I like to stop by Treehaus (closed on Sunday) or Ground Central for coffee and snacks.

I’ve been going here for about two months and absolutely love it. The instructors are friendly and attentive and I’ve learned so much in my short amount of time here.

I have been going to Aerial Arts officially for one year now. I had started aerial silks at another place for a couple months, which was great, but AANYC has high ceilings, a huge space, and incredibly supportive instructors. I am seriously addicted to silks (and so will you be if you start) and I have seen so much improvement in the past year. Apart from my snowboarding trips in the winter, my only form of exercise is Aerial, and it keeps me extremely fit and I don’t even feel like I am «exercising» because it is SO MUCH FUN.
I already did one student showcase in August of last year, which was so rewarding. Apart from going to class almost every single day, I am currently preparing for my next showcase in four weeks. I take classes with Kristin Young, Joshua Dean and Susie Williams and enjoy every single second of them. As you advance in aerial, the classes become tailored to the students’ levels and it is amazing how many new things you keep learning, while perfecting everything else (POINT YOUR TOES). The pace of teaching is ideal and the teachers really focus on keeping you safe in the air all the while not making you feel nervous. I have met some amazing people at AANYC and have made good friends from students to teachers. Their stretching and flexibility classes are also amazing! If you are interested in trying something new and getting out of your comfort zone, I would definitely recomment AANYC, you will not regret it.

One of my favorite places to train. All of the instructors are amazing, and I always ALWAYS learn something new. I’ve done the 8-​week intensive workshops a few times, which are great because you work at your own level and by the end of the workshop, you have a full routine, and get to perform it with everyone else in an end-​of-​intensive showcase. I’ve taken lyra, trapeze, silks, and stretch classes here, and can’t wait to try all of the others!

Being involved in the aerial arts for over five years, I have had some awesome instructors! I have also encountered some who threw caution to the wind when safety was concerned, lacked knowledge and even common sense. That certainly is NOT the case here! Aerial Arts NYC is in a great location and has very skilled and knowledgeable instructors who pay great attention to safety.
I look forward to coming back to train again on my next trip to NYC.

I love these guys. I’ve been taking lessons from some of these teachers for over 5 years, back before they had their own school.
They know when to push me, when to let me be frustrated with myself, and how to motivate me to be better in the air. I have met so many wonderful people through the community at Aerial Arts, and been exposed to amazing talent & creativity. If you truly want your ass to be kicked, take an Aerial Conditioning class!
One thing I will note: some other reviews mention certain classes are not beginner friendly. open level and intermediate classes are not beginner friendly, because they are not beginner classes! Beginner classes are beginner classes, and they are offered for a reason! I think this is stated in the class descriptions, so don’t get mad if everyone is annoyed when you don’t know how to climb but signed up for an intermediate class anyways… in that case, you ARE wasting other people’s time. I paid for the class too, and I paid so that I could learn new skills from my teacher, not so I could watch him/​her teach a beginner lesson.

3.5 star review for Aerial Arts NYC. If I were reviewing this a year ago, I’d probably give this a few more stars. That is BECAUSE I was pole-​ing back then and I was much stronger and in good aerial condition. Unfortunately, I tore my shoulder from pole so I took a year off and I’m back to one.
I would say, per Susie E and others here, that AA is not friendly for beginners. They do not do a good job of directing new people where to go or which class is taking place on the mat. This is pretty true of the aerial culture in general though.
There’s a certain elitism that accompanies all aerials because of their strength and ability. Still, there is something more… welcoming about pole. Pole is about the camaraderie and self journey and I didn’t really get that from any of the instructors here. They were for the most part patient… and thorough in explanation, just not warm? Of the two instructors I had — Josh and Kristin O, I preferred Josh. Josh was warmer and more patient; Kristin was good too but it’s a matter of your personal vibe with them. They both taught pretty challenging beginner moves. You start class by stretching, then you learn 1 – 3 moves and then you do some aerial conditioning. One major pro is that they keep it very small– only 5 – 6 people in a class.
I took 3 classes (b/​c I bought the LivingSocial deal for 3 classes for $ 50). Cons on this deal was that they were going to expire by ²⁄₂₀ so they had to be used before then and unfortunately, all the classes (nearly all) are booked solid so I don’t know how anyone’s supposed to make classes. Book way in advance if you want to start going. Still, I got a good deal considering one class is $ 35 and their packages don’t lower the price too drastically. They have the most classes out of all the aerial studios in NYC (most apparatus, most instructors, most times, etc)
I started out with Lyra/​Hammock which I thought was the easiest and painless of my classes. I’d try these again. We learned how to get on the appartus, sit, stand (for hammock) and do little wraps and easy poses. This was taught by Josh.
The next class I took was silks/​rope, taught by Kristin. This was harder; we started with the climb, did an ankle hang and other poses that could have been built upon with other skill level. Kristin did a good job trying to explain the hand wraps and what not but boy, I don’t know how people remember that! You get used to it, I guess. The one bad thing was that I didn’t spend that much time on the rope. presumably because it’s the hardest but I wish we’d divided our time between the two. We learned most of the stuff on the silks, and then Kristin just asked me to replicate on the rope. which I couldn’t do. I needed tons of support (her holding the apparti still, i. e…both her and Josh were generally good about that and spotting).
The last class I took was static trapeze. This is a bit easier to book because I think it’s the least favored appartus. I can see why because it hurt like a motherfucker. Twisting with that bar all up in you was simply not fun and I just wouldn’t do it again. In this class, taught by Josh, I didn’t think he was as forgiving or patient with newbies– esp. newbies like me that have a low pain tolerance. I had the most difficulty with trap– I couldn’t even really mound the thing on my own. I have really short arms compared with my body so it was hard for me to invert into the swing… which was a problem with me and pole too.
I’d say you’d need to have some kind of fitness level before doing these classes. I’m very fit and strong, and an ex pole dancer but aerial is another beast all together. If you’re flexible and a pro at inversions (handstands, headstands– which I’m not because it’s really a balancing act that I’ve never been able to achieve), you’ll be good.
All in all, I’d consider going back for lyra and hammock if I don’t like a more affordable studio. After all, they have a plethora of classes and the location is convenient.

Good space, variety of classes, good pricing — and most importantly skilled/​experienced instructors!
Jason’s Acro and Balance class is great — he works with students where they are and caters the class to the needs of your partnership!

I really enjoyed the class I took here. I took the acrobatic balancing class (which you can only take if you sign up with a partner) with my boyfriend. We had our own awkward moments here unrelated to the class, but overall I really enjoyed it. The other 2 couples taking the class had groupon deals or something. We paid the regular price. Both of us are very active people, but my boyfriend has injuries, and I’m a little more in shape than he. Our teacher was very patient but eager to push us (in a good way). I also should mention our teacher was a substitute, so I don’t know how it is with the regular teacher, but our substitute was AWESOME. Great attitude, eager to show us things and help us. He pushed us to do some cool stuff, but never made us feel pressured or uncomfortable. I have experience in aerial arts and want to try the silks class here, the class that was going on during ours looked like the teacher was experienced and knew what he was doing.
I’ve taken various circus arts classes at a different school that was way overpriced and far more expensive than this one so I had to stop. I’ve also taken individual lessons where the teachers just weren’t all that great. Even though we were all at varying levels in the class, we all managed to do the stunts and we all seemed to enjoy ourselves.
Definitely coming back to this place!

I bought a Living Social deal for this place, checked out the website and was excited to go, the only problem was signing up for a class. Most classes I was interested in had a waiting list, which was no problem, I figured if the class opened they would send an email or something, that didn’t happen. Instead a month later I tried again and finally got into a class but due to work I was unable to attend. I called and left a message more then 36hours in advance and never heard back, I then sent an email. A few days after the class I was called by Kris and she told me due to their inflexible policy she wouldn’t allow me to reschedule, that was fine but I told her I was having problems scheduling the two other classes I was supposed to have. After many back and forth emails Kris finally told me I could have a credit that would only allow me to go to 1 class and I would have to pay additional for a second. I would not recommend this place to my worse enemy. The customer service is terrible, and after reading about the classes they don’t sound great either!

This place is great. I have nothing but positive things to say about the instructors and classes. All of the teachers are really knowledgeable (most have performed professionally in top circus’ like Cirque du Soleil). I had no previous experience and bought the Living Social deal to check it out. I thought I would be able to learn some things about how it’s done and maybe touch the silks a little bit. However, when I got there I felt welcomed and didn’t feel like I was «too inexperienced» to do anything. I was on the silk the whole class learning by doing! My teacher was really great with instructing to my level of experience. There were much more advanced students in my class but I never felt out of place or that I should have been at a higher level to take the class.
The silks and rope class was so much fun! I’ll definitely be returning for more classes soon. Highly recommended.

Awkward Much?! So i purchased a Living Social Deal 3 class for $ 50 bucks. I was super excited to try something new and fun! They have a relatively easy online booking system, booked a beginners trapeze class and was pumped!
Walked in and the kids at the front desk were chatting and not to helpful I had to ask where the locker room was and how to get to the gym area., I went into the locker room and non of the lockers worked, seriously they were all broken. So i change and carry my coat, uggs and purse into the gym and kind of look around aimlessly. There are a bunch of classes going on at the same time in the same place so i was not sure where i was suppose to go. I finally go up to someone that looks sort of like they work there and was directed to the area where the trapeze class was taking place. It was me and two other girls in the class who clearly were pros. The instructor had me do some stretching first and seemed bothered that I was a beginner. They had a student recital that night? so basically i sat there, like a total A-​hole as these two girls did these over the top routines (set to music with props I might add) and between the girls breaks the instructor would have me get on the trapeze and flail around for 4 – 5 minutes. Totally irritated at my lack of skill and clearly just wanted to get back to working with the girls that would be preforming that night. Keep in mind I DO NOT EMBARRASS EASILY but this experience was easily in the top 2 – 3 most AWKWARD and uncomfortable experiences I have ever had in my 29 years of life, I have never felt so un welcomed as if she was doing me a HUGE favor, I was a little in shock and weirded out by her vibe.
Summary: This place is NOT beginner friendly at all. Why they put a deal on Living Social is beyond me. Unless you are a gymnastic pro or an ex circus performer I would steer clear. The only redeeming thing I can say is that maybe the Lycra classes are funner. There was one going on right next to me and the instructor for that class seemed slightly more patient. Needless to say it was a waste of $ 50 bucks and I will most certainly NOT be redeeming the two classes I have left. But maybe that’s their plan all along, get a bunch of Living Social People for the $ that you know will never come back.

I love Aerial Arts NYC! I also purchased a Livingsocial deal and have so far gone to a hammock/​lyra class and silks class. Both were a great experience and I feel like I learned a lot in a short time. I am a true beginner and I thought it was nice to be mixed into a class with more advanced students because I think it pushed me to try a variety of new things.
The instructors at Aerial Arts NYC are all very knowledgeable and took the different skill levels of the students into account. I also appreciate their patience with true beginners like myself.
The classes are certainly a great total body workout. I am in decent shape and workout regularly, and this was challenging.
I am looking forward to next my class at Aerial Arts NYC!

I bought a Living Social deal to this place with my roommate. We’ve gone to two classes so far — the aerial conditioning & the hammock/​lyra class. Both times, we had Kristen Olness as our instructor. Both classes had about 4 – 6 students, and there were multiple apparatus set up. For aerial conditioning, she set up 2 static trapezes, 1 silk rope, 1 ball & a mat for various floor exercises. I didn’t like this class as much as the other one, as I prefer to learn more aerial skills vs conditioning — but my roommate & I wanted to try out one of everything.
The second class we took, hammock/​lyra, was pretty awesome. Kristen set up 2 hammocks & 1 lyra, and since no one was using the silk ropes, she also showed us some skills on those, so that we weren’t repeating the same things over & over. The one downside to the class is that even though it’s classified as «beginner», 2 of the girls in the class were clearly not beginners, so I think it was harder for Kristen to split her attention between complete novices who needed a lot of guidance & those who were doing more complicated moves who needed spotting.
Overall, I think this place is pretty awesome. The instructors are very knowledgeable & I definitely learned a lot of new things just int he 2 classes I’ve attended so far. Also, it’s a fantastic workout — my muscles were sore for days afterwards, and I consider myself to be fairly in shape.

I purchased a Living Social for Aerial Arts and took one lyra class and had an ok experience in the one class I went to. It was a little bit disappointing that the teacher only brought one hoop even though she said she had two because it meant a lot more waiting around. She was a decent teacher, but seemed to get a little bit frazzled by students who were inexperienced.
I signed up for another class the next week, but had to cancel because I was sick. They were completely inflexible about allowing me to reschedule less than 48 hours prior to the class time, which I find incredibly unfair, because I wasn’t sick two days before the class so I couldn’t have known I had to cancel. I was also doing them a favor by keeping my germs away from their shared equipment. On top of that, they were terrible at communicating. No one ever picked up the phone the several times that I called during business hours, one email went unanswered for days and my last email has gone completely unanswered.
I feel a little ripped off.