I have been dancing at this studio for about six months or so. I have never had the pleasure of…read moreencountering a more welcoming, supportive, and loving environment than here at Carousel Pole. The owner, the instructors, the students, and everyone in between is so very sweet, helpful, unique, and caring. I cannot recommend this studio enough and would welcome anyone reading this to give them a try. Coming here was one of the best, most empowering decisions of my life and I am so glad I did. I have learned so much and have had so much fun here. Thank you Carousel for all you do for your students, we appreciate all you do for your community so very much!

Love this place, a very welcoming environment, great instructors, & a fantastic workout!read more

I booked a moms' night out for my friends and I at the Pole Barn. We did the 2 hour aerial silks…read moreand pole dancing class. Rochelle was so welcoming and friendly when we got to the studio. She got us situated with all of our stuff, including the pitcher of margaritas I brought, and made sure we were feeling comfortable. We started off with the aerial silks which had us all dying laughing as we learned how to stand, sit, and hang upside down in the silks. Pro tip - definitely stretch before taking this class! I pulled a hamstring and had to stretch it out before proceeding. Then we moved on to the pole dancing which was also hilarious as we tried to dance, spin, and climb the stripper poles. Rochelle was a great teacher the whole time constantly reminding us "No THRUSTING!" on the poles. Rochelle even let us hang out a bit after class and finish our margaritas in the lounge area. The next day we were all comparing our various sore spots and bruises. We definitely worked muscles we didn't know we had! All in all, it was a fabulous way to spend an evening with friends.

This review is for a private party only, I have not taken any regularly scheduled classes…read more Four stars for two reasons: 1. They scheduled two parties back to back, with no buffer, so shoes were piled on top of shoes, and we had to wait for one party to exit (past our scheduled start time) in order to start our party. 2. We had to share poles/silks because there were too many people. It would have been nice to know how many poles/silks they had beforehand, or if they could split the group in two so we wouldn't have to wait to take a turn. Check-in/waiver signing was super easy and quick. You have to pay a deposit for 8 people ($37.50 per person) to book your class, everyone above and beyond that number can pay separately at the time of the class. Tips are appreciated, they can be paid in cash or along with the class fee. Pole dancing and aerial skills, the perfect bachelorette party. Even if you don't have any sort of athletic skillz, and are not in shape, the private party is still completely do-able. They are sure to do basics, nothing complicated, that lets people of all fitness levels enjoy at least a little bit of the class. The instructor, Zecky was very patient with my group of rowdy ladies. She made every effort to make sure everyone was being safe while having loads of fun, and corralled everyone in poses for some fun pictures. I would highly recommend having a private party here!

Dollhouse has an incredibly beginner friendly atmosphere had such a wonderful experienceread more

Absolutely the best possible first experience with pole dance. Comfortable the entire time. Very…read moresupportive community of people. Took my first class with Lindsey and I will certainly be back.

Just booked my second class, which should tell you something. c:…read more I love this place's aesthetic and brand theming. Like, the owners are having fun with it; the colors, the "villain era" ad copy, the merch. The pricing seems quite reasonable to me, at $79 for a 4-week class session, that's just under $20 for an hour of instruction. They have other pricing structures available too, including a monthly subscription type deal. (I work seasonally, so I can only really join in during my off-season, unfortunately, otherwise I might be tempted to go for their "Very Important Villains" option.) They host drop-in style classes too that you can attend individually for $25/ea. (I did one using a 10% off coupon they sent me after completing my first class. They want you hooked!) The thing that impresses me most is the sheer variety of stuff you can learn here, and at many difficulty levels you can advance through with practice. I chose Lyra as my first beginner course and have had a blast. The next one I signed up for is Chair dance. Tbh, I'm also interested in Pole dance and Aerial Silks. I just kinda wanna try it all! They also have classes for dancing in high heels, burlesque, and trapeze! Wow! See what I mean? You're just gonna wanna try it all! The studio space is a bit compact, but workable. On entry there's a room off to the left where you can change if you need to, as well as a gender-neutral restroom. In the lobby is a coat rack and place to take off your shoes. The studios are off to the right and you'll check in with the friendly employee behind the desk. Near the desk are lockers if you feel a need; I've felt secure leaving my little baggie beside the couch. We're all here to learn and have fun, no one's gonna nick your stuff, haha. They also have snacks and drinks for a $1 donation (aka, they aren't trying to profit, just make sure you're properly fed and hydrated for physical activity!), and some fun merch like stickers and t-shirts depending on how big a fan you are, hehe. Additional changing rooms are also there in the lobby. The staff, instructors, and other students have all been friendly toward me. I'm a trans guy, and I've already met a couple other students who use they/them pronouns. In fact on their website they specifically call out that they are an LGBTQIA+ affirming space for everyone. I will say that this was a large factor into my decision to enroll and try their studio. Introductions always include your name AND pronouns. I've been very pleased by the inclusivity. They're also big on offering adaptations on class instruction to accommodate all body types and abilities. The instructor I've had for Lyra comes off very confident and knowledgeable. She has also been encouraging and will keep an eye on you if it looks like you might be off-balance. Each class begins with some warm-up stretching and ends with some cool-down stretching. (I tend to stretch before I drive over though because I need a bit more than five minutes worth to get my tendons ready, haha.) I hear they do student showcases and photoshoots sometime and I hope to participate one day! The parking situation is really the only negative, and what can you do if you're located in downtown? It's street parking only, and Cedar Ave. can get pretty packed in places. This is made more challenging during winter time, as the snow banks obstruct parking.

My friend and I decided to take the drop-in pole dancing classes, which were so fun! Just stepping…read moreinto the studio, I felt very welcomed and comfortable. I could tell all the staff were very genuine and unapologetically themselves, which is so refreshing to see. They even had a store pet, Hammy the hamster! The space is decorated with so many cool photos, and there are so many different types of classes you can take. There was a chair dancing lesson going on right before our class. The website has SO many options to choose from. For beginners, drop-in styles are the best for learning the basics. Our instructor, Hassan, was so skilled and kind! He made the class super fun and he especially made it look so easy. We learned 10 different skills within the hour and it was so fun! I want to take different types of classes in the future!

I love taking classes here with Gemma. It is a spacious yet quaint dance studio with cute decor…read more Gemma is talented, patient and kind. The studio has super cool lights and acoustics!

Loved this atmosphere and business so so much !! Was great with our bachelorette party and we truly…read moreall felt welcome in this environment. There was a ton of street parking near by. It was a great experience and I think everyone felt really welcome.

So excited to try a new workout and super happy to find this really cool studio…read more The space is inviting and the staff are friendly. The moves on the band make me feel like a kid at the playground! Not a boring moment in this workout!

Both studios, Minnetonka and Northeast are beautiful, each with a unique vibe that's fits the…read moreneighborhoods they're in. The community of strong individuals of every size (clients and staff) surrounding The Aviary are super sweet, non judgmental and encouraging. I was so surprised to see a gym create this kind of culture. After coming to a few classes, I can definitely tell the culture comes from their instructors. They make aerial approachable and fun while making you feel safe with lots of encouragement! I took a Fly Fit Fun class with Angela yesterday and had a blast! She was patient and super motivating. Not to mention the workout... I have muscles I didn't know existed that are sore today !! Highly recommend trying out The Aviary for your next workout!!

I absolutely love the Lyra classes here! All of the instructors are friendly, skillful, and…read moreattentive and I always have a great time. The classes have a great ratio of students to teacher and apparatus, which allows for a little bit of rest time and plenty of practice time. The studio itself is such a cool space and is very clean! I would highly recommend taking classes here!

I went for the Aerial Silks beginners class and the price for a drop in class was very reasonable…read more There's a parking lot right in front of the entrance along with street parking. Upon entering the building, I located room #9, where Stomping Ground is housed. I was surprised to find that 8 mins before the start time, the door was still locked. The instructor eventually arrived a few minutes after the start time which was a bit disappointing. It's a decent sized space, but a bit in disarray. Anyway, there were cubbies at the front where belongings could be tucked away. This included shoes which are not allowed on the performance/class floor. Although my skills were awful I still enjoyed myself. The instructor was very patient, helpful, and never made me feel like I was holding the class back. She showed several moves, and walked us through as we attempted them ourselves and while encouraging us, never pushed us beyond our comfort levels. About 2/3 of the way through the class, a child came in and was all over the place. It was a bit distracting especially as she continued to pull the instructors attention towards random things. Can't blame the kid (for being a kid), but I do think paid classes should feel more organized and less random. Anyway, I'm glad I tried the class.

I've been a part of the Expertease Fitness aerial program for almost 5 years and have absolutely…read moreloved my experience. The studio recently moved into a larger space - enabling them to have even more space (and higher ceilings) to support the extensive programming they offer across their aerial (silks/hammock, lyra, trapeze and rope), burlesque and pole curriculum. The studio offers either session based classes (sign up for 8 weeks of classes with the same group of students each week) or drop in classes if you aren't quite ready for a long term commitment. I have only had extensive exposure to the aerial instructors - but all of the teachers and staff I have interacted with are extremely passionate, caring, welcoming and lead with "safety first" mentality. They will push you to do new and challenging things outside of you comfort zone - but are great about respecting personal boundaries and safety. During my time with the studio - I have been exposed to the most amazing welcoming and diverse community. Regardless of your age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identify, profession etc. - you will be welcomed by this community with open arms. The studio has some of the most affordable rates for aerial/pole/burlesque etc. in the Twin Cites (and especially compared to other metro cities) A few other tips/tricks details: -All session based courses offer the opportunity to participate in a end of session performance -Studio regularly offers extremely affordable photo shoot and makeup/hair sessions -Class offerings are constantly evolving and they regularly add new classes and/or workshops -Studio does offer the opportunity to rent out practice spaces and offers private group classes -Studio regularly offers groupons and/or sales for level 1 classes -The booking system online can get a big confusing (you buy credits - and then redeem them to sign up for classes) - but just e-mail or call the help lines and they get back to you quickly!

I just returned to BurlesqueMN for another session of classes. I am in the basic pole classes and…read moreloving it! Some things about it that is different than other gyms with pole is that 1. it's progressive. You're learning skills and building on them. You don't just drop in and try to following along -- you're taught everything so you can master it. 2. You get the opportunity to perform at the end of the session if you want to!! I loved showing off my new skillz to my friends and family . I work in human services and in this profession, self-care is key. BurlesqueMN has really helped with fulfilling my self-care. The pole classes not only give me an amazing work out, I have grown so much more confident with my body and how it moves. A big recommend for any one interested in giving pole a try!! I have yet to try other kinds of classes here but most certainly plan on doing so in the future.