Champions Studios

I really like Champions. It’s about the work here. It is to acting what a music studio is to recording: no frills or bells or whistles, just a straight up work space. It’s not fancy and it’s a little raw like CBGBs the rock club style, meaning not dressed up but it means business and has New York in the trenches character like real world artists doing the hard work, not about a patina of glam or allure. it’s decent, clean, and positive and unpretentious. The prices are great for NYC. They have a great reserve space by texting system and pay online options, safe and secure. The staff are super and they have been here a long time, also a good sign. The staff Leo, Ruben, Izabela, and Candice, are steady and helpful and cool. I like the energy here. It strips it down to the essence of creative work. It is positive and about the work and that helps the work be better. I like Champions a lot and have been using their spaces for ten years. They are a good find and a good space to know about if you are in NYC.

I’ve been to Champions a lot, they have competitive rates and it’s very easy to make a reservation (via phone, email, or text). The confirmation process is a bit cumbersome — you have to contact them before noon 2 days before your reservation to confirm or they’ll cancel it. I just recently had this happen, but they were able to re-​book me without an issue. There are a lot of chairs and tables in the hall to accommodate any sort of rehearsal situation you might have — it really is for rehearsals and practices more so than more expensive studios that are also used for casting calls, etc.
I also once walked in on a martial arts practice here. They do it all!

Its tough getting rehearsal space in this city. The locations and the prices can crush any production. This is by far the cheapest place in manhattan to get a room. But you are truly getting what you pay for. The rooms are old, dirty, with awful lighting. However they usually have space and its so close to the trains its perfect for low budget play. I would not use for dance or self taping.

There is a reason it’s the cheapest around. Definitely not super clean but I wouldn’t say I’m scared of how dirty it is, or anything. I would never host an audition or big rehearsal here that requires many people. I would be embarrassed. But for a quick rehearsal with my 1 other scene partner– it’s just fine. We sometimes even walk in and get a space.
The part I’m having trouble with is the booking process. It is madness. The website is like going back in time. So old. Then you click «Space Requet form». YES you read that right. It says REQUET. How can this even happen on an established website???
You fill out the form, and then they usually email you (but don’t worry, sometimes its a text) with the available rooms based on your needs. You reply with the size and price you like.
From there… I don’t even know. Twice they have told me that I will not have the room unless I pay 24 hours in advance online. Most other times they make me confirm (but don’t have to pay yet) by noon on various days (some times 24 hours ahead, sometimes 48)… and sometimes by text and sometimes by email.
It’s quite exciting… you never know exactly what will happen after you send in the «requet».

This is a great place and their prices are great. I love the sizes of the rooms all I have to do is set up my lights and backdrops. The people that work there are really cool too.

This studio is huge with so many rooms. Nothing fancy but decent if you just need some space to practice. I like it here because of so many rooms — you tend to be able to book a space much more easier than other studios. Decent price and also convenient to most train lines.

This studio isn’t as dirty as a lot of Unilocalers and non-​Yelpers seem to point out.
I came here on 2 occasions and on both days every early in the morning as they were opening up someone were finishing mopping the floors/​vacuuming.
I could be wrong and they are doing this AFTER reading Unilocaler’s point out.
2 room rentals to the left when you get off the elevator, registrar/​all other room rentals to the right.
They even have a mini snack selling station right in front of registrar. Sorry, no baked goods. Simple snacks and nick naks.
The bathroom situation (men’s) was clean on both days. No urine smell which is always appreciated especially on those hot days… ugh.
The staff was accommodating which is always a good thing. We had to store some film equipment and we ask if we could do it since we booked for the following day as well.
There were some glances and discussions but they agreed.
This studio is known for their affordable prices and that hasn’t budged so that’s good.
Would I use this studio again?
Sure, maybe for rehearsal and stuff.

rehearsal space is like sex, right? even when it’s bad it’s…no wait hmm. do people really think that about sex? anyway this place is legit nasty. rehearse in a dark alley, it’ll be cleaner and quieter. this place is like the E train, you’re afraid to touch any of the surfaces. except i bet the E train gets cleaned more often. do some research — there are places just as cheap, and way nicer, you just gotta be a bit more flexible on when you rehearse.

I’ve used the studios before but the bottled blonde with the accent and the bad skin behind the counter makes me wonder if the price is worth it. She had a very, «why are you inconveniencing my life.» Sort of attitude. I just had a few questions on room availability and pricing. Not saying I won’t use the studios again but don’t expect human decency let alone TLC. :(

It was $ 18 with a reservation, which is much better than the $ 29 at Simple. The room was small but just fine for our group of 5 doing improv practice. A piano with several sunken keys and a bunch of chairs were available. There was even a window.
Toward the end, someone saw a mouse scurry across the room. I’m really glad it wasn’t me as I have a girlish fear of mice and years of trauma battling domestic critters.

For a budget tight college student/​intern, Champion studios is the best resource to have for casting, rehearsals, etc. i like it. It doesn’t have to be fancy to work so long the rooms are spacious, quiet, and stocked with essentials (mirror, chair, tables, ac, heater).
It might look and feel ghetto, but I love this place. Its a perfect venue for low budget meet ups too. I had my Glow stick community spring meet up here two years ago.
The staff might care less about you at first feel, BUT when you get to know them, they are actually very nice people.
They also have separate bathrooms for men and women and snack bar at the entrance.
Champion Studios is indeed a place I will always remember and cherish when I move away from this city.

A major find! I rented a decent sized room for 11 dollars an hour. They have concessions in the front. I booked a room for me and my find team of actors for our first rehearsal for
All you need to do is book a room and 24 hours before they text youo and ask you to confirm. If you dont show or cancel after confirmed you get charged in full. It was 22 buck for two hours. They had 5 chairs lined up in the room with a small table. The room could easily double as a small dance studio w/​mirror which made the talent feel at home. It was way bigger than I thought it was gonna be.
The location is great. 37^th street between b’way and 7^th. Easy street parking and super easy subway commute. Gotta check this place out. Their website is well designed they just need floorplans. I will be rehearsing there for the next month.

Though it’s one of the most inexpensive rehearsal options, Champions is always in really poor condition. I don’t know what’s going on with the paint on the walls. They have any type of rehearsal here — dance, acting… basically whoever wants to rent a room and rehearse something can do it. The hallways are always overcrowded with people waiting to get into a room. Unless price is your number one reason for choosing a rehearsal space, there are plenty of better options in the city.

Was there recently and this place is old. The floor is bad for dancing and the condition of the room is poor. I will pay a little extra for newer studios nearby.

Clean space, great prices and great location, I was at Champions for the first time teaching an improve class and the staff members were very helpful and accommodating, I found the place to be clean and well taking care of, it looks like they just renovated the place. I will definitely go back and would recommend to anybody. Plus they have GREAT RATES!
Glad to have found Champions Studios

This space is clearly very multi-​purpose. I was here for a kickboxing class, but next door was a singing audition.
The space is definitely small, but it is well maintained. The room I was in for my class was a bit tight, but it did the trick and had a full wall mirror.
Two ladies’ bathrooms, which is a bummer. Too bad there aren’t proper changing rooms.

Ahh, Champions. It has been a good while since I’ve been (end of 2008) here but I feel they need a shout out. Times are hard. And if you are an actor, dancer, or artist you ESPECIALLY know this. These guys aren’t some flashy studio but they give you what you need. You need a cheap space with four walls to practice, need a water or candy, need to do what ya gotta do? Call Champions. The two gentlemen that run this place are great guys and are willing to work with you. You want glitz and glitter, not your place. Need to save some dough and rehearse, dance, sing? Then they got your back.

I’ve used this studio five or so hours a week for the last six months or so. The studio has a quite annoying policy that you have to call in the day before your reservation, no matter when you booked it, to confirm that you’re still coming. (For example, if I want a room on Tuesday evening, and I call Monday morning to reserve the room, I then have to call again Monday evening to confirm I’m still coming.) I am pretty bad at remembering to call to confirm, and have asked multiple times if they could make a note on my account saying that I agree to pay if I don’t show up. The desk staff was not willing to do this. They usually text me the night before to remind me to call in, however, this last time they did not, and I forgot to call in. I went to the studio to teach two students yesterday and they had filled my space and would not give me another room. I told them that I’d be taking my business elsewhere and they said «fine, we don’t care». Although this studio is cheap, the place is dirty, smelly, unprofessional, unequipped to handle most rehearsal needs, and the desk staff is, frankly, awful. Pay a couple extra dollars and go to Ripley Grier around the corner.

Champions is a relatively inexpensive rehearsal space in midtown. The location is great — 39^th between 7^th and 8^th. The rooms are small but one would assume people know the deal before the book them. The problems I have with this space are a) the smell and b) the general shoddiness and lack of upkeep. Last night was probably my tenth time in the space and it smelled, as per usual, like walking into an armpit. The room we rented was clean but lacking a piano. When we asked for piano, as was needed for our rehearsal, one was promptly brought in by an employee. However, we were not provided with an appropriate seat for our accompanist. The rooms are usually too hot, which coupled with the odor, can make rehearsing there very uncomfortable. Book a room with a window and be clear about your needs before you get there and it can be a good deal. If not, you might get stuck with an unworkable situation.