FAQ

Getting Started

Getting started is the hardest part, so well done on getting curious already!

Our studio welcomes anyone over 18 to join our classes, whether it’s the occasional drop-in class to give it a go, or our dedicated members!

Our group classes are designed to give adults of all genders a place to explore new skills and make new friends together, if you’re new to movement and fitness you’re absolutely welcome here. If you’re looking to ramp up your fitness journey and learn some wild new tricks, we’ve got you covered too!

If you have any accessibility needs that you’d like to enquire about, feel free to pop an email through to discuss this with us.

  • No! Our Director & Head Instructor Emma has spent years training in different countries and cities, and we want you to have the option to simply drop in if you’re travelling too! You don’t have to be a short-term student to use our pre-paid passes though, we know you can’t always guarantee your schedule so our pre-paid passes are available to everyone to attend once a week, once a month, or just once to try it out.

  • Absolutely not! Our classes are progression-based staring with the foundations. While other sports can provide a helpful base level of fitness, there’s really nothing quite like aerials so we start from the absolute beginning and as you become stronger and fitter you’ll progress.

  • Not at all! Our Aerial Conditioning, Bootcamps, and other fitness suite classes are for everyone, there are no mandatory courses to join our playground!

What to expect?

First, make sure you can find us! We are located upstairs at 110 Cuba Street, from the street level you’ll see a little black doorway in between the Wellington Apothecary and Indeja - pop into the doorway and press the buzzer for Empire. We recommend coming 5-10 minutes early for your first class to make sure you can find us, and so that we can meet you!

As the classes are technical fitness classes we require our students to arrive on time for the full pre-class briefing and warm-up. If you are late by more than 5 minutes you may not be permitted to join, and a standby student may fill the place.

  • WHAT TO EXPECT

    Your first Pole Dance class: you’ll meet your teacher on arrival and fill out a new student form - let your teacher know right away if you have any previous injuries that they should be aware of. The Level 1 classes are open-access, meaning that brand new students will learn base techniques alongside students that have been attending for longer, so you’ll get to see progressions for the tricks you’ll learn in real time! We start with a warm-up, conditioning, move into the class itself, then finish with a little dance before stretching out.

    WHAT TO WEAR

    In Level 1, our skin grip is used for climbing and sitting techniques, and bare skin from the mid-thigh down is required in performing these actions. It is preferable to wear slim-fitting shorts to accommodate this, and you can wear these under looser shorts if you’d like. However, if you would prefer to begin in leggings this will be fine for many other techniques that you will learn in Level 1, although you may miss out on the climbing and sitting techniques. You may wear any tops that you are comfortable in, though it is recommended that you wear a singlet-style top so that you can access arm skin grip.

    For your first Pole Dance Choreo class you can wear anything that you would normally wear to a pole dance class, but you will want to additionally be prepared to bring knee pads or leggings with you for floorwork!

  • WHAT TO EXPECT

    Your first Flexibility class: if this is your first class with us, you’ll meet your teacher on arrival and fill out a new student form - let your teacher know right away if you have any previous injuries that they should be aware of. Our Flex classes combine active, passive, and static stretching techniques to offer a well-rounded movement session to help improve your mobility and strength in your range of motion. Some classes will be more focused on flows, while others on specific techniques, and there will be variations for all mobility levels from beginner to advanced. We’ll complete a warm-up with breathing techniques and activation exercises before a class of stretch-work, then a cool down at the end before you leave.

    WHAT TO WEAR

    You can wear any activewear that you are comfortable in to this class, although in cooler weather leggings will be preferable to keep warm throughout the session! We have plenty of mats to stretch on, though you may like to bring your own yoga mat towel if you have one, and you are welcome to bring your own yoga mat if you would like to.

  • WHAT TO EXPECT

    Your first Booty class: if this is your first class with us, you’ll meet your teacher on arrival and fill out a new student form - let your teacher know right away if you have any previous injuries that they should be aware of. Our booty classes are a fun way to condition and strengthen your legs, but they’re also full of twerk techniques and choreo! You can expect a roughly 50/50 split of conditioning and choreo, these routines are more risqué than our usual choreo classes!

    WHAT TO WEAR

    First - we HIGHLY recommend soft kneepads! There are many polewear brands that sell kneepads for pole, but these can also be any kneepads that do not have hard components (so no roller derby kneepads, but soft volleyball ones are great!).

    You can wear any activewear that you are comfortable in to this class, this class is a fitness class with a fun choreo twist, so you are welcome to dress for dancing and we recommend short workout shorts or pole shorts for the full experience!

  • You can wear any activewear that you are comfortable in to this class, although slim fitting pants like leggings will help with leg work!

  • You can wear any activewear that you are comfortable in to this class, just remember that it will need to be comfortable to get upside-down in!

  • Aerial Conditioning 1 is designed to help you to progressively load your body rather than pushing you too hard! You’ll be most comfortable in a shirt and leggings, and you don’t need prior experience to join this class.

Pole Dance

Modern pole dance has many influences, but its origin is from strip clubs! It is important to us that our studio recognizes strippers as pioneers of modern pole.

At Empire, we offer Level classes which focus on technique, as well as choreo and conditioning classes. In the Level classes (1-5), we focus on teaching strong and confident technique. Pole is an incredible art but as you progress to inverted moves and bendier tricks it is also a high-exertion gymnastic sport, so we treat it like one in our tech classes! We provide you with the functional techniques that you need so that you can apply your own styles of dance and movement to create your own routines and flows however it is that you move best.

Our choreo classes cover genres from slinky, sexy, stripper-style to light and lyrical or fun and jazzy! We’re all about encouraging you to try styles that interest you, and lean in to your own vibe.

  • If you’re a brand new beginner, have a few pole classes under your belt, or are returning after a break then Level 1 is the best place to begin - you can also take any of our off-the-pole classes!

    If you dance regularly, have some previous pole experience whether from home, a studio or a club, or are visiting town have a look at our levels page first and flick us an email if you’re not sure which level to join!

  • We don’t run terms, instead we run a curriculum and we share the fundamentals of that with you in the Level Cards you’ll be given. As you go and grow, we check in to make sure you’re comfortable with the fundamentals of each level and when they’re second-nature skills we’ll graduate you with a certificate and a new Level Card!

  • Absolutely not! Pole Dance has so many pathways to follow and you might want to simply have fun with your hobby, maybe add some choreo to develop your movement skills and enjoy using your pole technique as a creative outlet. If you don’t want to do flips and big tricks you don’t have to at all!

  • We provide a suite of dedicated conditioning and technical classes to help with your progress. Pole Dance is incredibly technical, and takes a lot of time and repetition to get comfortable with certain skills, we highly recommend additional conditioning classes if your focus is progressing up levels!

what is your cancellation policy?

You can manage your cancellations through your account! If you cancel six or more hours before a class, you’ll get your class pass back. Late cancels and no-shows will still use a class pass credit. Please cancel through your account if you can’t make a class, so that a lucky wait-lister can be contacted!

Purchases of class passes are valid for 12 months and are not returnable, but if you can’t use your pass up you can arrange to have it reassigned to a friend!