Never done this before? Start here.
Never tried aerial before?
This is your starting point
Bored of the gym? Same.
It's real training, it just doesn't feel like it.
Aerial is a real workout. You climb, spin, hold your own weight in the air — and you get strong doing it. No machines or headphones. Most people forget they're exercising at all.
You'll get strong
From your first climb you're lifting your own body weight. You don't arrive strong — you leave strong, and you'll feel it within a few weeks.
Grip and core
Holding on and holding shapes works your hands, arms, and middle harder than any plank. It's the part that surprises people most.
Control of your body
Learning to move with intention in the air changes how you move on the ground too. This is where the flexibility comes from, over time.
Where to start
1. Book the absolute beginners class
It's built for people who've never touched a piece of aerial equipment. No strength, flexibility, or gymnastics background needed — that's the whole point of the class.
2. Worried about upper body strength? Start on aerial sling
The sling is a piece of fabric tied in a loop, like a swing. It holds your weight from the first minute, so you spend the class learning to move instead of gripping for dear life. Aerial silks and aerial hoop ask more of your arms — you can start there too, but sling is the gentlest way in.
Sling, silks, and hoop — what's the difference?
Most people have never seen these up close. Here's what each one actually is, and how hard it is to begin.
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Aerial sling
also called the hammock
One piece of soft fabric tied in a loop. You sit, hang, and spin in it, and it supports you the whole time. Because you're not holding yourself up, you can relax and learn how to move.
Aerial silks
two long pieces of fabric
Two pieces of fabric hanging from the ceiling. You climb them, wrap yourself in, and hold shapes in the air. It builds real grip and strength — and it's the most demanding of the three to begin.
Aerial hoop
also called lyra
A steel ring hanging from the ceiling. You sit, hang, and move through poses on and around it. Great for upper body and core, and a little friendlier than silks when you're just starting out.
See a real beginners class
This is an aerial silks exercise from an actual absolute beginners class. Sling and hoop classes cover the same fundamentals on their own apparatus.
Try it with a 3-class trial
Use all three classes on one discipline to really get a feel for it — or spread them across sling, silks, and hoop and find the one you fall for. Your choice, no need to decide up front.
Mats and all apparatus included. Nothing to bring but yourself.
The things people ask before their first class
Do I need to be strong?
No. It's one of the most common worries we hear, and the answer is that you build strength by doing this, not before. Start on aerial sling and it carries your weight while you learn. You'll leave stronger than you arrived
Do I need to be flexible?
No. Most of our beginners aren't. We work with the range of motion you have now, and it improves faster than you'd think once you're training regularly
Is it safe? Will I fall?
You'll learn how to wrap and hold correctly from day one, and in beginners classes you work low to the ground with your teacher right next to you. Nobody gets rushed up high before they're ready.
I'm not graceful, is it still for me?
Yes. You don't need a dance or sports background. Everyone moves at their own pace and there's no expectation to look impressive. That's genuinely what the beginners class is for
Read the full FAQ for what to wear, how high you'll go, and the rest.