Altitude Pole Fitness & Aerial Arts — Attraction in Frisco

My home away from home!! 😄 This will be a VERY LONG review, so the summary is: I love Altitude and can’t recommend the aerial sling program highly enough!

BACKSTORY: I never exercised regularly before starting aerial classes - I had no upper body strength, an extremely weak core, and no muscle definition whatsoever. I have always been highly self-conscious, have cried in many group fitness scenarios, and have never even done a cartwheel. All that to say: I WAS NOT FIT WHEN I STARTED DOING AERIAL. I have become so much stronger than I ever thought I could! I’ve taken at least two classes a week for about six months and I am a different, stronger, more capable person now. I’ve learned to fly! 🤩

My favorites:

INCREDIBLE INSTRUCTORS: I’ve taken aerial sling classes with Maddy, Danika, and Monica. Each instructor has their own style and energy, but they all exude such warmth and kindness. They pay careful attention to the needs of the class, making sure every person is supported. Every instructor is also extremely skilled - they are a wealth of talent and I feel so honored to learn from them. 🥹

BEGINNER-FRIENDLY: The level one classes are so accessible. The instructors are great at breaking the moves down step-by-step. They are happy to assist every student, and often offer personalized coaching if someone is new, afraid, or needs to slow down. It is really interesting to learn the different options and build on them in every class. Of course, there were still moments when I was intimidated or felt very new when I started, but the instructors are well-equipped to help with that. 😌

ENCOURAGING ENVIRONMENT: One of my favorite things about Altitude is the class environment. We all cheer when someone masters a new move or overcomes a particular challenge. Everyone congratulates each other and we’re all excited to watch each other progress. There is not an environment of competition between students and that allows us all to celebrate each other. It’s a really fantastic, supportive community. 👯‍♀️

MONICA: One person at Altitude in particular is my favorite part of the whole place. Monica is a pink-haired fairy whose positive energy infuses every class she teaches. She is funny, inclusive, energetic, and so encouraging. I have taken private lessons with her since July and they genuinely changed my life. She listened to my specific needs and came up with creative ways to guide me. She has helped me overcome my doubts and fears and to trust myself. She has also become a cherished friend along the way. If you ever have the chance to take a class or private lesson with her, I recommend you take it. She’ll sprinkle some magic into your life. 💗✨

Final Thoughts:

I debated about including this part of my review, but I think it could be helpful to some. I began coming to aerial classes as part of a trauma-recovery plan. I won’t go into details, but I will say that doing aerial sling at Altitude has been a huge part of me feeling safe and at home in my body again. If you read that and understand what it means, just know that it could do the same for you. 💛

I could probably keep writing about Altitude for many more paragraphs, but I’ll spare us all and end it with this: give it a try, even if you’re scared. It has been the place where I’ve became empowered, strong, and confident. I’m sure all of the programs are great, but I am speaking specifically to my experience in the aerial sling program. I can’t...

9/31/22 UPDATED REVIEW: Tricia, the owner, reached out to me about a week after my original review and offered me two class passes. I appreciate this, as classes here are a bit pricey (albeit worth it!) She also mentioned that negative feedback is an opportunity to grow, so I do hope to see positive changes in the future. (She also made it clear that she was not asking me to change my review, this was my decision)

I am leaving my original review below, for reference, but I do want say that if you are interested in taking aerial arts classes this is an amazing place to do so. The instructors are friendly, the environment is clean, and everyone is very welcoming, no matter your age, ability level, background, etc. I really do enjoy my time at the studio.

Original 2-star review (9/8/22): Up until today, I would have given Altitude 5 stars. I would like to start by saying that the aerial silk and hammock classes I've attended have been absolutely wonderful. Today, was a different story. I was signed up for the aerial hoop (lyra) class, and I feel there were multiple failures of policy and planning from the studio. I left my residence with enough time to be 20 minutes early, the forecast showed overcast and chance of light rain. It ended up being hail and heavy rain, so much so that no one could see the road and cars were being blown off the road. I pulled over to wait out the storm as it was unsafe to drive and called the studio. I was told if I couldn't arrive within 5 minutes of the start time I wouldn't be admitted, which I understand since it is for safety. However, I asked if I could get my pass back and was denied. This wouldn't bother me so much except when I showed up there weren't enough hoops for everyone to have one. Another lady and myself did not have a hoop, and as an introvert I didn't feel comfortable asking another paying student to give up their hoop for me to use/share. So, some sharing took place, but it's hard to have time to practice skills 2-3 times when 2 or 3 people are sharing one hoop. Overall, I got maybe 10 minutes on the hoop. I am disappointed they would book more people for this class than available hoops, especially as a beginner "friendly" class. I didn't get a workout, I honestly don't think I even sweat. I didn't get to learn anything, and I feel like I wasted the $30 pass on top of risking my safety to get there. I feel like I should have been offered my pass back when I called due to weather since there were more people than hoops anyways. I don't want to hold a grudge, I will be back since I have more passes and do love some of the instructors, but I honestly feel upset that I wasted my time and money for a 10-minute "workout"/"lesson." I hope to hear from management or the owner to work this out because I would like to stay with...

My daughter recently tried the kids’ aerial silks class at Altitude Fitness in Frisco and absolutely loved it. She attended a trial class on Tuesday, May 27, and I was told by staff that parents are not allowed in the room until the last 10 minutes of class. I respected that rule and only entered at the appropriate time. Based on how much she enjoyed it, I signed her up for the weekly Tuesday 5:30 PM class, even though the timing is less than ideal. We have to leave the house by 5 PM to make it on time for a 50-minute class. Still, I was happy to support her interest. However, during our second visit on Tuesday, June 3, I had a disappointing experience that I feel other parents should be aware of. After dropping off my daughter, I parked and sat quietly in the lobby. Two staff members (one blonde, one brunette) approached me and asked if I was there for a class. I explained that I was just waiting for my daughter. One of them told me that parents are technically not allowed to wait in the lobby while their children are in class, citing past issues where parents tried to coach or distracted their kids. For the record, I did not do any of that during the previous class.. I followed all rules and was not a distraction in any way. The blonde staff member said if they allowed me to wait, they’d have to let all parents wait—even though there are only 4–5 kids in the class. The brunette suggested I go to a nearby Starbucks, but at 5:40 PM, drinking coffee isn’t a great option for me. When I explained that, she replied, “It was just a suggestion.”

What bothered me most is that this policy was never explained during registration or at the trial class. Had I known that parents aren’t allowed to wait in the lobby, I would have considered whether this was the right environment for us. Unfortunately, due to how this situation was handled, this may be our last month at Altitude Fitness. I hope they consider being more transparent and flexible with parents moving forward. Bottom line: proceed at your own risk.

I am currently writing this cautionary tale while patiently waiting in my car and not...