S$15 Aerial Fitness Studio Trial Class: Groove Studio

Groove Studio, on the third floor of Block 261 Waterloo Centre, #03-30A, is a pole and dance school that also teaches aerial hoop and hammock, and it has one of the cheapest first steps into the air in Singapore. A one-hour aerial hoop trial costs S$15 per person, which is less than a single drop-in at most of the city's dedicated aerial studios. The room is about three minutes on foot from Exit E of Bras Basah MRT or Exit B of Bencoolen MRT, so it suits anyone who works or studies around the Bugis and Bras Basah belt.

Groove Studio LLP is best known for pole fitness and dance, and its aerial programme is a smaller strand of the timetable rather than the whole business. That is part of the appeal. The aerial classes are taught in the same friendly room as the dance classes, with no stage-managed boutique atmosphere, and the studio describes its aerial hoop, hammock and silks courses as suitable for beginners through to more experienced students. If you want a place where you can try something different without joining a big-name chain, this is the sort of low-key neighbourhood school that fits.

The studio's older name was Groove Dance School, and some directories still use it. Its own website is a simple Google Sites page that lists classes, the trial, the studio policy and a contact page. The class schedule page was last updated in October 2026, and the footer carries the 2026 date, so the school is clearly still running. The weekly timetable is posted as an image on the class schedule page.

The trial class is one hour long and costs S$15 per person. The slot published on the trial page is Aerial Hoop on Sunday from 1:45pm to 2:45pm. Once a trial booking has been confirmed, the studio says the date and time cannot be changed, so check your diary before you pay. That firm rule is common for small studios that need a minimum number of students to run a class, and Groove states that its classes need at least three students to go ahead.

A hoop trial is a sensible first choice. The lyra hoop hangs from a single point, so you sit, hook your knees and lean back before you try anything dramatic. You learn how to mount the hoop, how to hold your own weight with your hands and how to dismount safely. Most first-timers spend much of the hour on the basics of grip and balance and leave with a feel for whether the apparatus suits them. Wear fitted clothing that covers the backs of your knees, and remove jewellery and watches, because the studio policy asks students to take those off before taking part.

After the trial, regular students usually move into a six-lesson term. Aerial courses cost S$180 for six weekly lessons, and a single aerial drop-in is S$36. For comparison, the studio's stretch and conditioning classes cost S$150 for six lessons or S$30 as a drop-in. Prices are listed as shown on the studio's class schedule page, and payment is by PayNow or cash, with card payments sometimes processed through PayPal.

The timetable shows several aerial slots across the week. On Tuesday evenings there is a higher-beginners hoop class from 7pm and an aerial hoop dance class from 8pm. Friday has a beginners hoop class at 7pm. On Sundays, hoop dance runs from 10:30am and an aerial hammock class follows at 2pm. Silks are advertised on the website, but the timetable image does not show a silks slot.

Drop-in bookings are firm. According to the studio policy, a drop-in booking cannot be cancelled, transferred or rescheduled once made, which makes the six-lesson term the more forgiving way to commit if your schedule shifts week to week.

Groove suits people who want an affordable, unpretentious start. A student with a desk job who wants to try hoop before spending several hundred dollars on a package will find the S$15 trial hard to beat. Dancers who already attend pole classes can add hoop to their week in the same building. Complete beginners should note that the studio does not publish an age minimum or a weight limit, so a WhatsApp message to the team is the way to ask if either matters to you.

If you are choosing between studios, think about what you want from the room. Groove offers a small, social class in a dance-school setting, while dedicated aerial schools in Tanjong Pagar or Marina Bay run long levelled terms with tall ceilings. Neither is better in the abstract. The Waterloo Centre room is a lower-cost doorway, and many students use it to find out whether they enjoy hanging upside down before they commit elsewhere.

Waterloo Centre is a compact older retail block on Waterloo Street, known for art supply shops, a small food court and the nearby Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple. Take the lift or stairs to level three and look for unit #03-30A. Bras Basah MRT Exit E on the Circle Line and Bencoolen MRT Exit B on the Downtown Line are each about three minutes away. If you arrive by bus, services along Victoria Street and Bencoolen Street stop within a short walk.

The streets around the studio give you plenty to do once you have climbed down. The Singapore Management University campus green, a short stroll away on Bras Basah Road, is a pleasant place to cool off. Albert Centre Market and Food Centre on Queen Street is a few minutes on foot and is a classic spot for a cheap hawker dinner after class. Bugis Street and the shophouse lanes around Haji Lane are close enough to walk if you want a longer evening.

Temple visitors will also find the incense-filled shrine at Waterloo Street worth a pause, since local worshippers have long come to it to pray for good luck. It is a lively reminder that this part of the city mixes old and new, art schools and small shops, and fitness classes tucked into unexpected buildings.

Address: Groove Studio, Block 261 Waterloo Centre, #03-30A, Singapore 180261. Nearest MRT: Bras Basah Exit E or Bencoolen Exit B, about three minutes on foot. Trial: S$15 for one hour of aerial hoop, currently on Sundays from 1:45pm. Term: six weekly aerial lessons for S$180. Drop-in: S$36. Payment: PayNow or cash. The studio does not publish a fixed list of opening times.

Finally, bring water, wear fitted layers and arrive a few minutes early so you can settle in and sign any forms. If you are unsure which class to pick, tell the studio that you want a first aerial hoop experience and let them point you to the right slot.