STUDIO NOIR · Class Programming

The class schedule is the daily reason members show up. Get this right or the membership base leaves.

Phase 1 keeps it focused on the disciplines STUDIO NOIR is known for: pole and movement. Phase 2 expands to include reformer, barre, and gym-based classes at flagship scale.

Phase 1 class families

Three families. Roughly 12 classes per week total.

1. Pole (the signature)

The core discipline. STUDIO NOIR treats pole at Olympic-training-facility rigor, not strip mall aesthetic.

Curriculum tracks Phase 1: - Pole Foundations (4-week cohorts). New members enter here regardless of prior experience. Grip, safe spins, basic inverts, conditioning. Cohort-based so new members learn together and build community. - Pole Sport. IPSF-aligned (International Pole Sports Federation) vocabulary. Competition-track for members who want to progress. - Pole Art. Choreography-forward. Musicality, floorwork, transitions, storytelling.

Weekly cadence Phase 1: 6 pole classes. - Foundations: 2 per week (Tuesday and Saturday morning cohort openings) - Sport: 2 per week (mid-morning and evening) - Art: 2 per week (evening slots)

Capacity per class: 10 members (6 poles, 2 members rotate through each pole across the class). Class length: 60 minutes (Foundations, Sport), 75 minutes (Art with choreo).

2. Movement / Dance

The Taj family. Editorial, expressive, non-pole movement work.

Curriculum tracks Phase 1: - Movement Fundamentals. Release technique, floorwork, breath, grounding. For members not ready for pole or on off days. - Contemporary Flow. Horton and Graham-informed technique, adapted for boutique studio scale. - Editorial (Taj-led, monthly special). Once a month. Styling, camera awareness, movement for photography and video. Taj occasionally leads or curates the guest.

Weekly cadence Phase 1: 4 movement classes. - Fundamentals: 2 per week - Contemporary Flow: 2 per week - Editorial: 1 per month (special, treated as event)

Capacity per class: 14 members (open floor, no poles). Class length: 60 minutes.

3. Mobility and Conditioning

The wellness closer. Supports pole and movement work.

Curriculum tracks Phase 1: - Mobility Flow. Active mobility, controlled articular rotations, joint prep for pole and movement training. Especially valuable pre-class or as recovery. - Pole Conditioning. Non-pole class supporting pole strength: grip, shoulder, core, back. No poles used.

Weekly cadence Phase 1: 2 mobility/conditioning classes. - Mobility Flow: 1 per week (Wednesday morning) - Pole Conditioning: 1 per week (Sunday morning)

Capacity per class: 14 members. Class length: 45 to 60 minutes.

Sample Phase 1 weekly schedule (12 classes)

Schedule may shift as we learn member demand. Reviewed monthly by Trill and the lead instructor.

Class density and timing rationale

• Morning: limited Phase 1. Most Triangle members bring high schedule fragmentation, so we prioritize evenings and weekends.
• Lunch: two slots per week (Tuesday, Friday) for downtown Raleigh and RTP professionals.
• Evening (5-8 PM): the peak. 4 to 5 slots per week.
• Weekends: 5 classes across Saturday and Sunday, brunch-timing friendly.

We do NOT run: - 5 AM classes (no member demand at boutique scale, and instructor bench cost is too high) - Late-night classes (past 8 PM: attendance drops) - Weekday afternoons past 12:30 PM (dead zone in the Triangle)

Class capacities

Phase 1 studio holds 14 to 16 people comfortably. Class capacity capped by format:

Booking rules Phase 1

• Booking window opens:
  • Studio tier: 72 hours in advance
  • Access tier: 48 hours in advance
• Cancellation cutoff: 12 hours before class start. Late cancels and no-shows tracked.
• No-show fees (per incident):
  • Access: $15 charged to file
  • Studio: $10 charged to file (grace of 2 free late cancels per quarter)
• Waitlist: auto-fill from waitlist as space opens. Member has 30 min to confirm the auto-added spot within cancellation window.
• Class limit per day per member: 2 booked classes/day soft cap.
• Founders charter members: priority booking window opens 96 hours in advance for select popular classes (a small perk).

Instructor sourcing Phase 1

Small roster. 2 or 3 contract instructors total Phase 1.

Pole instructor(s)

• Regional pole federation talent (IPSF Southeast circuit, POSA competitor pool)
• Lead pole instructor books minimum 6 classes per week
• Second pole instructor is a rotating backup covering 2 to 4 classes per week
• Pay: $60 per class base plus fill bonus ($10 extra per class when class hits 8+ members)
• Independent contractor (1099), not W-2 Phase 1

Movement instructor(s)

• Trill’s dance network (Beyoncé, Teyana, Kelly Rowland, Doechii circuits) for occasional guest residencies
• Local Triangle dance/movement teacher as the primary anchor
• Pay: same $60 per class + fill bonus structure

Mobility instructor(s)

• FRC (Functional Range Conditioning) certified preferred
• Small class count, could be covered by lead pole instructor if properly certified
• Pay: $50 per class (shorter class length)

Class quality standards

Every STUDIO NOIR class, regardless of family, shares:

• Start on time. Doors close 2 minutes after start. No late entry after 5 minutes (safety on pole days).
• Instructor arrives 15 min early, sets room, greets members by name at the door.
• Music curated by Trill or an assigned in-house team, never streamed from an algorithm.
• No explicit lyrics in morning classes.
• Room reset between classes (5-min turnover minimum, 10-min for pole sanitization).
• No filming member classes without written consent and release. Marketing content shot on scheduled shoot days only.

Programming cadence Phase 1

Beyond the regular schedule:

• Monthly Editorial event (Taj-led or curated). First Sunday of the month.
• Quarterly guest instructor. Trill’s network brings in a guest choreographer or pole athlete for a weekend residency (Friday evening + Saturday classes).
• Quarterly members-only social event. Sunday afternoon in the studio (mats out, prosecco flowing, no formal class). Builds member-to-member relationships.

Phase 2 additions (2029-2030 flagship)

Once flagship opens, class family list expands significantly:

• Reformer / Pilates (new Reformer studio at flagship)
• Barre + Mat (in the new secondary movement studio)
• Gym-based (Strength Foundations, Strength Club, HIIT, Functional, Rowing Intervals) once we have a full gym floor
• Aerial Pole (advanced verticality, drops, spotter-required)
• Recovery + IR Stretch (in the new secondary studio with infrared panels)
• Breathwork (in the new secondary studio)
• Choreography Lab (rotating 6-week choreographer residencies from Trill’s network)

Full Phase 2 schedule reaches roughly 60 to 68 classes per week across 4 studio zones.

Phase 2 also introduces the broadcast-mode disruption (main studio unavailable 30 days per year for THE NOIR INVITATIONAL and select events; all main-studio classes relocate temporarily to secondary).

Details in Phase 2 rewrite in 2028.