Aerial Silks Near Me in Brooklyn: Circus Academy New York's Basket Class

Circus Academy New York teaches aerial silks in a large white warehouse at the back of a gated parking lot at 30 Tompkins Avenue, where Tompkins meets Flushing Avenue in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. An aerial drop-in class runs 75 minutes, holds no more than four students and costs $50. The school is the former Trapeze School New York, and its homepage still says so in a banner, so if your search for aerial silks near me turns up the old trapeze school name, this is the same place under its new name.

The school's roots are in flying trapeze. Jonathon Conant, a former stuntman who first tried trapeze at a Club Med, founded Trapeze School New York upstate in 1999, according to an amNY profile; in 2001 he partnered with Anne and Dave Brown, and in 2002 the New York City rig opened with the Hudson River Park Trust. Today the outdoor rig sits on top of Pier 40 at West and Houston Streets from April through October.

The Brooklyn building is the year-round home, and it is where the silks, lyra, straps, chains and static trapeze classes happen, alongside trampoline, juggling and clowning ground classes, and open gym time. The rename to Circus Academy New York reflects that broader menu. One caution if you are following old links: the former domain, trapezeschool.com, no longer belongs to the school, so book only through circusacademy.com.

Intro Silks is open to students with no experience at all. Instead of putting you straight onto two hanging tails, instructors tie the bottom of the fabric into a loop near the floor, called the basket, and you learn poses from sitting or standing in it. From there the class covers the basics of climbing, inverting, and wrapping your feet and wrists. The school's level guide says every silks class is tailored to each student's strength and fitness.

Level 1 is for students with some silks or other aerial background. You polish the French wrap and Russian step climbs, practice figure-8 knots, dance locks and wrist locks, and start learning named poses such as man in the moon, archer, side straddle, candy cane and cross-back straddle. Level 2 brings the first drops and needs your instructor's permission; Level 3 moves on to double star, hands-free double star and airplane drops.

Because a drop-in caps at four students, you get far more time on the fabric than in a crowded gym class, and an instructor can watch every foot lock. The trade-off is that spots go fast. If silks is full, the same 2.5 credits book lyra, straps or a static trapeze class, and the Aerial Sampler Series lets you try several apparatus before choosing one.

Everything at the school runs on credits. A 75-minute aerial class is 2.5 credits, or $50 as a single drop-in, while a flying trapeze class is $100. New students, including experienced circus artists new to this school, can buy the New Student Package: 15 credits for $150, good for 30 days from first use, which covers six aerial classes. It is non-refundable and cannot be shared.

After the intro pack, a 15-credit pack costs $270, which works out to $45 per aerial class, and 25 credits cost $425. Regulars can choose a monthly membership at $160 for 10 credits or $300 for 20 credits, with unused credits rolling over for one month. The fall 2026 semester runs from September 14 to December 12, and its Silks Level 2/3 class meets Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:30pm with Troy for $585 over 13 weeks.

The cancellation policy is stricter than at most Manhattan studios. Cancel more than 72 hours before class and you get a credit, minus the 10 percent registration fee built into every price. Inside 72 hours there is no refund, although you may send someone else in your place. If you do not show up, the credit is forfeited, and if you are more than 10 minutes late without calling, the coaches may not let you in.

Classes are open to anyone six and older, a parent must stay on site for children under 12, and a parent or guardian signs the waiver for anyone under 18. The school does not allow pregnant students to take part, and anyone under the influence is turned away. For aerial classes, wear snug clothing that covers your midriff and the backs of your knees, tie long hair back, and leave rings and earrings at home.

The FAQ describes classes as open to youth and adults of all levels, and the building also hosts corporate team-building, school groups, birthday parties and holiday camps for ages 6 to 17. Expect to share the building with a birthday party or a youth class on some weekends. A CourseHorse reviewer described the facilities as really professional after a December 2024 class.

Book a few days ahead and keep the 72-hour line in mind. If your preferred evening is waitlisted, check the Momence schedule the morning before class, since spots released by no-shows go to the waitlist. Our honest view: the school is a better fit for people who want to try several apparatus than for someone who only wants one cheap silks session, because the $150 starter pack is the real value and the single $50 drop-in is not.

Upcoming dates are worth watching. The school lists Dance Trapeze workshops from October 30 to November 6 and a student show, ECDYSIS, on November 21. Seeing advanced students on silks and trapeze is a good way to judge whether the multi-week semester track is worth committing to before you sign up for one.

The walk in from the subway passes the former Pfizer Building at 630 Flushing Avenue, the brick block that Pfizer used as a plant from 1849 to 2008. It now rents space to food and manufacturing start-ups, and the school's own mailing address is a suite inside it. The building is not a public attraction, but its scale explains the neighborhood's mix of warehouses, schools and new apartments.

Bartlett Playground, a small NYC Parks space on Bartlett Street between Throop and Flushing Avenues, is about a block away and useful if you bring kids to a youth class. Otherwise, head straight back to the train after class. Keep in mind that there is no onsite parking, and your grip will be tired, so carry a bag you can sling over one shoulder.

Address: Circus Academy New York, 30 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11206. Go through the gate and walk straight to the large white building at the back of the parking lot. Subway: G to Flushing Avenue, then one block east; M to Flushing Avenue at Broadway, then two blocks west. During rush hours the J skips Flushing Avenue, so switch to the M. Buses B43 and B57 stop nearby.

Bring water, socks for flying trapeze, and fitted long layers for silks. Credits from the new student pack expire 30 days after first use, so schedule all six aerial classes before you buy it. The Pier 40 site in Manhattan is seasonal, open April through October, so always check which location a class is listed at before you leave home.