Newcastle Pole & Aerials Academy
FAQ
New Beginners
What age do you need to be? We have three different age ranges – there are pre-school classes for 18mths – 5yrs, kids classes for 4-12yrs and teen/adult classes for anyone from 13yrs. You’re never too old to start class and we have a wide age range in our adult classes so you’ll never feel out of place.
I have no upper body strength, will it be too hard for me? No! You don’t need any level of fitness to join our classes, you build strength and ability as you go along. It’s a common misconception that you have to be strong to start pole and aerial, but in our beginner classes we start with just that – the very beginning! Everyone works at their own pace and is given moves and skills to train at their own ability. Pole and aerial are a lot more accessible than you might think, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you improve.
Can I try out classes before I commit to a membership? Yes you can absolutely do this. We often have special intro offers or courses running where you can get a little discount for newbies to try it out. You don’t have to commit to one discipline either, you can try out several before deciding which is your favourite. Lots of our members train several different disciplines.
I can’t come every week, what is the best deal for me? If you can’t come every week don’t worry, you can still get a good deal. If you have a membership you get new credits every week but you have two weeks to use them so if you miss one week you can attend two classes the week after. You don’t need to be tied into a specific day either, you can use your credits to book any class. If a membership is too much of a commitment we also have class packs which are great value. You can also pay as you go for any classes at any time, whatever works best for your schedule. You can see more FAQs on our class packs and memberships below.
What to wear?
Pole classes – Wear comfortable active wear. Dance/booty shorts, crop top (where applicable) comfortable top, clothes to throw over top if you wish. Layers are always a win! For adults, heels are optional but not necessary. Skin helps you grip to the pole, so the more you have to grip, the easier it will be.
Floorography – Wear pole heels, a pair of heels you don’t care about anymore or socks. Kneepads and your favourite cute outfit.
Aerials – You want to cover your pits! Armpits and kneepits. Skin protection on aerials helps prevent burns and grazes and allows you to move around on the apparatus with more comfort.
Kids Classes – Kids should bring/wear dance shorts and tights and a tshirt that they can tuck in to their tights.
Anything else? – Everyone should bring water, especially the kids! Please also remove all jewellery and avoid any clothing with metal or zips as this can scratch our poles and tear our fabrics. Rings absolutely must be removed as you can seriously injure your fingers and damage our equipment. Small (non-dangly) earrings are fine.
Term Questions
How long do terms run for? Terms at NPAA run over 10 weeks in-line with the NSW school terms. During the school holidays we run mini terms and school holiday workshops, which offer a variety in the schedule and a reduced timetable. This allows for students and instructors to take much needed rest and recovery for their bodies.
Can we start the term late? Will my child miss out on learning things? If you start the term late that’s okay, our intro classes are specially designed so that you can join in at any stage throughout the term. Your instructor will make sure your child learns all the skills and progressions just as the other students have.
Can they repeat a level? Absolutely! Your child can stay in a level for as long as you need. Every student’s pole and aerials journey looks different. They could be naturally strong but require practice in other areas such as coordination. Or they could be really flexible but require more time to build strength.
What if we can’t make it one week? If you can’t attend one of your set classes you can swap it out for another class that week or do two classes the following week. Missed classes can’t be carried over to new terms. To take advantage of class credits you must cancel your class 12 or more hours before it starts.
How much does it cost? Just click on the link in the menu for the most up to date Circus Cats prices or check out our 2026 policies and prices document.
Class packs
How long does my pack of classes last? Casual class packs start at the time of your first use and expire 11 weeks (77 days) after that use. This means that if you start after term starts you still have 10 weeks to use your pack. This is the same for 10, 20 and 30 packs – the bigger packs are designed for multiple classes in a week.
If I can’t make a class can I do a catch-up class? In the event that you can’t make a class you have booked, you can just unbook on your account. You must unbook 24 hours before your class starts to get a credit that you can use again. If you unbook within the 24rs, you will lose your class credit. Please contact the studio if you believe you have extenuating circumstances and believe you are entitled to a catch-up class.
Term & Semester bookings. Please note that all preschool, kids classes are bound to the term or semester that they are purchased in. If you are a new student and arriving late to the term we will prorate accordingly. These classes cannot be used outside of the term or semester they were purchased for. We do have some flexibility with kids classes, please see the above Kids Policy document for full details regarding kids classes.
Adult Membership FAQ
What are the membership options and how do they work? All the membership options can be found on the adult pricing page. These work like a gym membership with automatic weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment options available.
What if I don’t attend any classes one week, do I still have to pay? Yes, the membership payments will continue according to their scheduled billing cycle. Just like a gym membership, if you don’t go to the gym that week you still pay the fees. However, unlike the gym, we do allow you up to two weeks to use that weeks credit. Why? Because we know sometimes life happens and we still want to give you the opportunity to be in your happy place.
What if I need to cancel my booking, can I still use the credit? For cancellation conditions please refer to the Class Packs section above, ie you must cancel your place in class 24hrs before class starts. Please note VIP MEMBERS, if you late cancel a class – that is, cancel within 8 hours of the class start time – you will be charged a $10 penalty fee at your next billing per class you late cancelled. Why? This policy helps prevent students on unlimited classes booking out every class and blocking others from booking in, and then not showing up. This can lead to empty classes and makes it difficult for us to cover our costs.
How long is the initial contract period? The memberships are a 6 month lock-in. This means you cannot just decide to go back to class packs again, you will need to honour the contract you’ve signed. You may still cancel early, however, you will have to pay a break of contract fee.
Can I pause my membership if I’m going away? You may pause your membership for whatever reason for up to 6 weeks of the year. You must contact the studio with at least two weeks notice of the pause request via email with the dates of the pause period. You may pause for up to 4 weeks at one time. There is a weekly pause fee of $10. The pause dates will be in line with your scheduled payments dates – so if your membership fee comes out on a Monday and you want to pause for two weeks, your pause will start on a Monday and end on a Sunday two weeks later.
How do I cancel my membership? You may cancel your membership at any time with at least 30 days notice of when you would like your membership to end. If you are cancelling outside of the 6 month lock-in period you will not incur any extra fees. You may attend classes up until the last date as notified by management.
Payments
Our preferred payment method is through our online booking system – this allows you total control over your schedule and payments. We do also accept cash, card or direct transfer. Please contact us for details on the best way to pay for your classes.
Classes must be paid in full upon booking. This ensures your place in class is secured. Without payment we cannot guarantee your spot. We cannot save spots to be paid in cash on arrival, if you want to do this you accept the risk that class might be full.
Payment plans are available upon request. You will be given paperwork to fill out and we will setup automatic recurring payments for the agreed upon period. Card or bank details are required for this and payment plans will not be accepted any other way.
Late payments – if you sign up for a membership you are legally bound by its terms. If your direct debit bounces we charge a $5 administration fee to contact you and run the payment again. This $5 fee will be charged every week the payment is outstanding. If you fail to pay your membership fees or the payments on an agreed payment plan and our attempts to rectify this fail, we may be forced to pursue the debt through legal channels including small claims court and debt collection.
Newcastle Pole & Aerials Academy
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