Aerial Silks Near Me in Culver City: Believe Fitness Studio's New-to-Silks Class

Every aerial class at Believe Fitness Studio lasts 90 minutes, including the beginner session the studio calls New to Silks, Start Here. It meets Monday at 7:30pm and Saturday at 12:30pm at 11822 Teale Street in Culver City, and a new student's first class costs $30. Believe has taught pole and aerial arts on the Westside since 2011, so for aerial silks near me between Culver City and Marina del Rey, it is a long-established choice.

Dana McAtee founded Believe in Los Angeles in 2011. She discovered pole dance in 2004, began teaching it in 2006 and later trained in flexibility, Pilates and aerial, which explains the studio's mix: pole and aerial classes share the timetable, and McAtee still teaches Level 2 Hammock herself on Wednesday mornings and Friday at noon. The studio describes itself as a space where movement becomes confidence, and its reviews read that way.

The coaching roster has real stage credits. Helen Day trained at Hangar Arts in London, performed with Zu Aerial Dance in Brighton and joined Cirque du Soleil in 2015 for Toruk, the show based on James Cameron's Avatar, where she swung on the aerial rope act until 2019. Amanda Montoya began aerial work in 2011 with The Cabiri, a Seattle aerial troupe, and performs as half of the duo CosplAerial.

The beginner class starts with a warm-up on the mats, then moves to conditioning on the silks before any tricks. You learn climbs, foot locks, simple poses, wraps and transitions with mats under you throughout. Ninety minutes is longer than many intro classes in Los Angeles, and the extra time goes to conditioning and repetition, so you will climb, rest and climb again several times before the end.

One visiting student, who took a Level 2 class while in town, noted that every student had a freshly washed silk of their own rather than sharing, and that spray bottles were set out to clean the yoga mats used for the warm-up. Monday's beginner class is taught by Melissa Hellewell and Saturday's by Kennedy Kabasares, so you can try both teachers in your first week.

Believe spells out what each level expects. Level 2 needs basic climbs and foot locks, a controlled inversion from the ground and enough upper body and core strength for conditioning, and some students need an instructor's approval or an assessment. It meets Tuesday at 6pm. Wednesday at 7:30pm, Helen Day teaches a Level 1–2 Mixed Silks class that suits students in between.

Intermediate Silks, Thursday at 6pm and Saturday at noon, asks for several climbs and foot locks, controlled inversions and basic aerial tricks, and focuses on transitions and longer sequences. A practical route is the Saturday New to Silks class for a month, then Wednesday's mixed class with Day, then Level 2 on Tuesdays. The studio's beginner hoop, hammock, rope and trapeze classes run on the same nights if you want variety.

New students get one discounted class for $30 or a three-class pass for $80, which the studio marks as its most popular start. After that, a single aerial or pole class costs $49, a five-class pass $225 and a ten-class pass $420, all valid for 365 days. Believe also accepts HSA and FSA benefits for qualifying students, which is unusual for an aerial school.

If you plan to come every week, the Sapphire membership at $250 a month includes seven aerial or pole classes, unlimited flexibility classes and unlimited open gym, plus a guest pass each month, with no contract. Our view: buy the $80 three-class pass first, and only move to Sapphire once you know you will use at least five classes a month, because single classes at $49 add up fast.

Classes are booked through Mindbody, and the beginner slots are evenings and weekend afternoons only. The Saturday 12:30pm New to Silks class runs alongside intermediate hoop, beginner trapeze and Level 2 hammock, so the building is at its busiest then. If you want a calmer first class with more attention, Monday at 7:30pm is the better pick.

Sunday has no classes, only an 11am open gym for aerialists and pole students, and Friday is limited to a noon hammock class and open gym. If those days are all you have, Aerial Physique's studio on West Jefferson Boulevard in Los Angeles runs small beginner aerial classes, and Cirque School in Hollywood has evening Aerial 101 sessions for $35.

Students who stick with it can perform. Believe's 2026 Fall Show is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, at 7pm and Sunday, November 15, at 5pm, with students taking the stage after months of rehearsal. The studio says ticket information is still to come. Watching one of the two shows is a good way to see what a year of Tuesday and Thursday classes produces.

The studio also hosts private aerial parties for birthdays, bachelorettes and team events. A party lasts 90 minutes and includes a group warm-up, aerial instruction on silks, hoop, hammock or pole, and time for photos, with no experience required. Bookings go through believefitness1@aol.com.

Culver City calls itself the Heart of Screenland, and the film lots are still here. Sony Pictures Studios, at 10202 West Washington Boulevard, runs guided studio tours on weekdays, and the restaurants around Culver Boulevard and Main Street in downtown Culver City make an easy dinner stop after a Saturday class.

For an outdoor stretch before class, the Ballona Creek Bike Path runs west through Culver City toward Marina del Rey, a flat route that suits a loose jog or ride. Arrive a few minutes early either way, since the class opens with the mat warm-up and conditioning that the rest of the 90 minutes builds on.

Address: Believe Fitness Studio, 11822 Teale Street, Culver City, CA 90230. Email: believefitness1@aol.com. New to Silks runs Monday at 7:30pm and Saturday at 12:30pm. Every aerial class lasts 90 minutes. Book through Mindbody.

New students pay $30 for one class or $80 for three. Regular classes are $49 each or $225 for five. The studio accepts HSA and FSA benefits for qualifying students. A first flexibility and conditioning class for new students costs $20 if you want a gentler first visit.