Key Takeaways
- Voler Aerial Academy doesn’t require a fitness test or a paid evaluation before you take a class. You start where you are.
- Our instructors modify or advance just about every move in class, so students at very different levels can train side by side.
- If you have past aerial or gymnastics experience, get in touch and we’ll give you an honest recommendation about where to start, at no cost.
If you’ve ever looked into aerial classes and wondered whether you’d have to prove yourself first, you’re in good company. Plenty of people assume there’s a strength test at the door, or a number of pull-ups you’ll need before anyone lets you near the fabric.
At Voler, Kansas City’s first aerial studio (founded in 2007), there’s no fitness test to pass and no paid evaluation to skip ahead, and nobody’s counting your pull-ups. You show up as you are, and we take it from there.
Do you need to pass a fitness test to take aerial classes?
No, not at Voler. Some studios start you off by asking you to work out in front of an instructor with a notebook, or to hit a set number of pull-ups before you can move up. We understand the instinct, but it’s not how we teach. It puts the pressure on you to fit the class, when the class should be fitting you.
Rachel McMeachin, who founded Voler, puts it this way: “We have so much skill and knowledge and background that we can modify or advance just about everything. So we meet you where you’re at… we don’t require you to meet us at our arbitrary levels.”
What does meeting you where you are look like in class?
It looks like an instructor choosing the next move for the person in front of her. One of our students is an older guy who’s built up real strength in his time with us. Flexibility is a different story, and some of the moves in class are a genuine struggle for him.
So on a recent night, Jade ended class on a flag, a strength move where you hold your body out sideways, parallel to the floor. She picked it on purpose. In her words, “I know that’s something he can accomplish and that he leaves feeling good about himself.”
The struggle still counts, and nobody skips the hard stuff forever. But you get to walk out the door having done something you’re proud of, and that’s what brings you back next week.
What if you already have gymnastics or dance experience?
Your experience counts, and you’ll still condition before you go big. Jade once had a former gymnast join a beginner class. She was strong and body-aware, and on day one she could already do more than anyone else in the room.
Jade said it out loud to the class: she’s a gymnast. She did it so nobody else would watch her and think, “I can’t do that.” Everybody knew why she was moving the way she was, and they got to focus on their own progress.
She still didn’t get to skip ahead. Aerial asks things of your hands and shoulders that gymnastics doesn’t, so she conditioned like everyone else before she was letting go and dropping into bigger moves. “Eventually we let go, but not in this class,” as Jade put it. Every skill here gets taught low first, then taken higher once you’re confident, whatever your background.
How do aerial instructors modify moves for different levels?
They break each skill into smaller pieces and pick the version that fits you. Our instructors bring about 85 years of combined experience performing and teaching movement, and several of us also teach dance and Pilates. That depth is what lets an instructor look at a move and make it easier or harder on the spot.
So in the same class, one student might be working the first half of a climb while the student next to them is adding a drop at the top. Both are doing the class right.
How do you know which aerial class to start with?
If you’re brand new, start with a beginner class. That’s where you learn the safety basics and get your hands and body conditioned, and it’s designed for people with zero aerial experience. Browse our aerial classes to pick one.
If you’ve trained before, whether that’s aerial at another studio or a background in gymnastics or dance, get in touch. There’s no fee and no test. Tell us what you’ve done and we’ll give you an honest recommendation about where to start, because we want you safe and we want you having fun.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be strong or flexible to start aerial classes?
No. Strength and flexibility build as you train. Most of our students start out with zero aerial arts experience, and beginner classes are built around conditioning your hands and body from day one.
Is there an evaluation fee to skip beginner aerial classes at Voler?
No. We don’t charge for evaluations. If you have experience, tell us what you’ve done and we’ll recommend where to start.
Can I skip the beginner class if I’ve done aerial before?
Sometimes. It depends on what you’ve trained and how recently. Get in touch and we’ll give you an honest answer, and if a beginner class is still the right place to start, we’ll tell you why.
Is aerial a good fit for older beginners?
Yes. Older students train at Voler regularly. Every skill is taught low first and adjusted for what your body can do that day, so you can build strength and confidence at your own pace.
Come as you are
Rachel’s version is the shortest one: “Meet people where they’re at. Everybody wins.”
You might come in thinking you need to be stronger or more flexible before you’re allowed to try this. You’ll stay because you find out the class was built around you all along.
Join Us in Class. Pick a beginner class and show up as you are.
Get in Touch. Have experience? Tell us what you’ve done and we’ll recommend where to start.
