Teddy bears, cheeky dancing and a whole lot of sass: meet Northampton’s Qweens.

From dancing with teddy bears to a cheeky Magic Mike-style trouser strip, Northampton’s community burlesque squad The Qweens are showing that confidence, self-expression and a sense of humour have no age limit.

The Qweens, a Northampton-based community burlesque dance squad brought their trademark sass, laughter and feel-good energy to their annual Burlesque-a-thon fundraiser on Friday evening at the St Crispin Community Centre, Northampton, treating participants to five hours of dance, play and a little bit of cheeky mischief.

The event featured 5 sassy burlesque-inspired dance routines plus 2 family friendly dances - all taught from scratch on the evening so everyone could join in whatever their experience, ability level or age. 

The Lewis Foundation brought their pop-up coffee shop, and some of the proceeds have gone to support their garden at NGH Oncology department, and there were cakes and treats donated by Wild Ginger Lily for whom a donation was also made to Mind.  This year, the event raised £950, plus Gift Aid, bringing the total raised so far to £1,157.50 which will be distributed by CLICK Arts Foundation in grants to support grassroots community arts projects promoting inclusivity and wellbeing.

Behind the laughs is a serious message about body confidence, self-acceptance and challenging the idea that sensuality and self-expression belong to a particular age or body type.

Squad Instructor Dr Audrey Tang (also Founder of CLICK Arts Foundation) said "The Qweens' mission is to get you moving and having fun.  Our community class is aimed at women over 35 and uses the art of burlesque to build confidence and body appreciation through play, storytelling - and a bit of stripping too." 

One of the dances during the Burlesque-a-thon was a "lap dance" where soft toys were treated to the movement stylings of the participants, and because husbands, boyfriends - and Lee Lewis of the Lewis Foundation also joined in the fun, it wasn't just the girls performing a strip - but the boys removed their trousers magic mike style too! 

She added: “Burlesque as an art is not just inclusive to all bodies, but very much about stripping off inhibitions, expectations and labels. It’s about owning who you are, celebrating what makes you unique, and having the confidence to take up space exactly as you are.”

With members ranging in age from 35 to over 70, The Qweens challenge conventional ideas about who gets to feel confident, be seen and enjoy performing. Their approach combines dance and low-impact movement with storytelling, humour and the freedom to try something different in a supportive environment.

The Qweens, who are available to perform at community events, bring their trademark sass, humour and feel-good energy to local events, demonstrating how burlesque can be adapted to different audiences.

Their family friendly routines have opened events such as Silverstone Soccer, and closed TEDx NHS, and the 2 Counties Independent Film Festival award ceremony was delighted by their more "adult" numbers. 

Beyond the fun, the group presents a sisterhood of women supporting women which aims to challenge the idea that confidence, sensuality and self-expression belong to a particular age or body type. They build friendships, try new things and celebrate themselves without the pressure to fit a particular mould.

For many women, learning to appreciate their bodies and feel comfortable being seen can be a powerful act of self-acceptance. Through dance, laughter and the freedom to play, The Qweens encourage women to celebrate what their bodies can do, rather than worry about how they look.

For The Qweens, however, the heart of the event is about much more than fundraising. It is about bringing people together, encouraging women to step outside their comfort zones and showing that it is never too late to discover a new side of yourself — whether that involves mastering a dance routine, laughing with a room full of strangers or giving a teddy bear the lap dance of its life!

To donate to the 5 Hour Burlesque-a-thon efforts in support of CLICK Arts Foundation visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/burlesqueathon26