Aerial Silks Near Me in Hollywood: Cirque School's Aerial 101 Classes

Cirque School does not take drop-ins: every student registers in advance, and late arrivals are not let in. The school at 5640 1/2 Hollywood Boulevard, between Wilton and St. Andrews Place, starts beginners in Aerial 101, an hour of trapeze and silks for $35, or three intro classes for $75. Founder Aloysia Gavre spent years as a Cirque du Soleil aerialist, so a search for aerial silks near me in Hollywood leads to a teacher with an unusual résumé.

Gavre started touring with San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus at 18, after training under Master Lu Yi of the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe and studying at Montreal's Ecole Nationale de Cirque. At 23 she joined Cirque du Soleil, performing as an aerialist in Quidam for more than 2,000 shows across ten countries and later in O in Las Vegas. Her aerial hoop act represented the company at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo.

On tour she was trained to become the company's Pilates coach, and that mix of circus and Pilates still shapes the classes. She began coaching out of a small Pilates studio in West Hollywood in 2004, then founded Cirque School in 2009 with her partner Rex Camphuis. Within a year the school moved to its current Hollywood space. Gavre has also prepared actors for films including Water for Elephants, Pitch Perfect 2 and Black Adam.

Aerial 101 is the all-levels entry class, listed as trapeze plus silks. It opens with a Pilates-style warm-up, then alternates time in the air with specific stretches and floor drills that target each inversion and trick. That structure suits complete beginners: you build the strength for an inversion on the floor, then try it on the trapeze bar, where you can sit and rest, before trying it on the silks.

In October 2026 Aerial 101 ran Monday at 8pm, Wednesday at 6pm and 7:30pm, and Saturday at 8:30am and 11am. Once you have the basics, Aerial Silks/Fabric 102 meets Tuesday at 5:30pm, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at noon, with 103 on Thursday at 6pm and 104 on Tuesday at 6:30pm. To join a 102 class as a new student, the school asks for a video or your Instagram handle first, so it can check your level.

Classes with fewer than three students may be cancelled, and the school emails at least six hours ahead when that happens. If your week depends on one particular class, sign up early so it reaches the three-student minimum. All adult classes are open to ages 14 and up, so a teenager and a parent can book the same class.

Classes are not sold as terms. You book the single classes you want, when you want them. A one-hour 101 or 102 class costs $35, and a 90-minute 103 or 104 class costs $45. The three-class intro package costs $75 and covers any 101 class, a $30 saving on the single price. Six-class packs in 60- and 90-minute versions are sold in seasonal sales and expire three months after purchase.

Private lessons cost $100 for one student, $110 for two and $120 for three, and the school cannot take same-day private bookings; requests go by email each week, depending on coach and space availability. Groups of five or more should book through the events page, which also handles birthday parties and team-building sessions.

Doors open ten minutes before class. You check yourself in on the school iPad, put your shoes and bag in the cubbies and wait in the chairs until a coach calls you in. There is no changing room, so arrive dressed to train: leggings or sweatpants that cover the backs of your knees, no shoes and no jewelry. Bring a refillable bottle; there is a water cooler but no water for sale.

The cancellation rules are strict. You can cancel yourself on Mindbody up to 24 hours before class; after that it counts as a late cancel and the credit is gone. Arrive after the start and you will not be allowed in, again losing the credit. The FAQ mentions a one-time forgiveness policy, but plan as if it does not exist, because Hollywood Boulevard traffic is unpredictable at 6pm.

Most students come for an unusual workout, but working and emerging circus performers also take classes to cross-train, and the school's student showcases often put beginners and professionals on the same stage. Forty classes a week also cover hoop, straps, trapeze, handstands, acrobatics and flexibility, so many silks students add a Flexibility 101 or Handstands 101 class within a few weeks.

An honest note: Aerial 101 shares its hour between trapeze and silks, so true beginners get less silks time than in a silks-only class. If you already know you only want fabric, book the Saturday 11am Aerial 101, then move to Silks/Fabric 102 as soon as you are cleared. If Hollywood is too far, The Aerial House in El Sereno runs 90-minute intro classes with a silks focus for $38.

Metered parking on Hollywood Boulevard is limited to one hour, which is not enough for a class plus check-in. The school suggests unmetered streets: Wilton Place and Gramercy Place north of the boulevard, or Carlton Way behind the school to the south. Read the signs. The Metro B Line's Hollywood/Western station is a few minutes' walk east, which is often easier than looking for parking at rush hour.

Just east of Western Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard becomes Thai Town, the neighborhood the city designated in 1999, with Thai restaurants, bakeries and markets lining the blocks toward Normandie. A little farther east, Barnsdall Art Park at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard is open daily from 6am to 10pm. Its Hollyhock House, Los Angeles's only UNESCO World Heritage site, takes self-guided visitors Thursday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm.

Address: Cirque School, 5640 1/2 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028, on the south side of the street between Wilton and St. Andrews Place. Book through Mindbody, at least a day ahead, and never count on a walk-up spot. Start with Aerial 101; the three-class $75 intro package covers it.

Arrive ten minutes early, dressed, with water and no jewelry. Cancel more than 24 hours before class or lose the credit, and leave extra time for traffic or parking because late students are turned away. Ages 14 and up can join adult classes. After class, Thai Town is a few blocks east for dinner.