Ladies, get out your feather boas, the Athletic Club in the City of Hamilton is offering a new dance class designed to bring out the diva.

Newly arrived Athletic Club Fitness Coordinator Dorota Rozko is now teaching an introduction to burlesque dance class for women based on a sexy style of dance that was popular in the 1930s that was heavily associated with striptease.

The class is thought to be the first of its kind in Bermuda, at least in recent years.

“I believe we are all burlesque performers and most of us have done a burlesque performance without realising it,” said Miss Rozko. “We do it when we talk to men in a specific way. It is about the little micro-movements we do like fluttering our eyelashes. We all do it but sometimes we are not aware of it. We all have that diva within.”

The class is designed for any level of experience, but is meant to be a real workout with lots of squats and kicks.

“Some women come in for the first time and are surprised they actually break a sweat,” Miss Rozko said.

She said the class is meant to make women feel good about themselves. The first time she saw a burlesque dance performance she was impressed by how empowering it can be for women.

“That is what I like about it the most,” she said. “No matter how old you are, what size you are, what you do in your private life you might enjoy it. The steps are not very complicated. The whole teasing and playing part is much more important than the dance itself.”

She said burlesque can be sexual, but it doesn’t have to be.

“I really like the classical burlesque,” she said. “You are always very classy. You tease. If you show anything you show for a split second and then hide it. Some of the new burlesque performers are quite open, but I prefer the classy side.”

Miss Rozko is originally from Poland but has taught burlesque dancing in Ireland, India, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

“Every woman loves burlesque because it allows you express yourself in a way we don’t normally have a chance to do,” she said. “We live in a world that requires women to do so many things and take on some many different roles that we tend to forget who we really are.”

She studied burlesque dancing under well-known burlesque performers Lady Lou, originally from New Zealand, and Betty Q in Poland.

“With burlesque it is about developing your own style,” she said. “There is a foundation, basic poses and basic moves, but then you build up from those. You don’t necessarily have to be really coordinated to do it. That is something that you develop. It has to be your own style. If you see yourself in the mirror and think I don’t look like her, that is fine. It’s your body. I am only there to guide you.”

The class is at 11.15am on Saturdays at the Athletic Club by the bus terminal in the City of Hamilton. The class is open to members and non-members. It is $69 for non-members and $39 for members. For more information call 295-6140.