The Hive is a newer business, but I'm still surprised to be the first one to review one Yelp because my experiences here have been amazing so far!
Service: I've been getting back into aerial + fitness after pandemic (and then, admittedly, finding the motivation), and I first heard of The Hive through Instagram. I knew of many of the owners/instructors through their teaching or performance reputations. I was excited to visit the studio during an Open Studio time to practice silks - the setup process was easy to follow (need to get pre-approved) and it gave me a sense of the type of customer service to be expected here. Spoiler: they're fab here, and the students are too. Hana was very patient and answered my million questions.
Classes: I purchased their intro pass to try out any 3 of their classes (they have classes for adults and kids). I was feeling a little intimidated in my first class (Silks 1 with Thai) since all the other people seemed experienced and already knew each other, but I was quickly at ease. Although this class does have pre-requisites, I never felt pressured to do anything I felt too uncomfortable with or was given options to build up to certain skills and strengths. My second class was handstands with Mega. It was a small class with only two students, which allowed us to ask questions and personalize our learning. The third class was flexibility with Erica. I appreciated her attention to detail (especially for newer students) and offering options for different levels and body types. One thing I have particularly enjoyed in all the classes is that the instructors allowed (to an extent, for safety) for conversation / building community between sets, and that is something I value and appreciate in a studio.
Location/Studio: The studio is walking distance from Columbus (a main street with multiple transit options). It is well-equipped with plenty of mats, props (e.g., yoga blocks, handstand blocks), and apparatuses - it has never felt "too busy" and so there's always been enough equipment IMO.
If I'm being nit-picky, one downside is that there are currently no mirrors, which I'm use to to help figure out alignment and angles. That being said, I love this new small business that seems to fill a gap/need for different types of classes in this North Beach neighbourhood and I'm sure I'll become a regular very soon (once my schedule permits lol). read more