A Little Bit Of History

My name is Bella Diamond, and I am the Boss Lady here at Burlesque Chair Dance. I opened our very first class in May 2008 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire and I was amazed by how instantly popular classes were – ladies of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities flocked to class every week and not only improved their fitness, but they also glowed with confidence and newfound self-esteem.

I have studied dance & fitness my whole life, I was 2 years old when I attended my first ballet class and since then, dance & fitness has been a huge part of my daily life.

The saying ‘what you do, does not define you’ does not extend to dancers!

I have a strong background in all forms of dance; ballet, modern, pole dancing, ballroom, line dancing…… but nothing compares to the sheer joy of burlesque.

I train every Instructor personally and choreograph each routine you will learn during classes and masterclasses. I am a fully qualified Fitness Instructor & Instructor Trainer (ETM2 Qualification),  with Advice & Guidance Level 3, First Aid Level 3 and of course, I am fully insured. I’ve been training dancers and instructors for 16 years now, doesn’t time fly?!

I think everything I did in life lead me towards creating BCD, in my youth I spent 2 years as a Holiday Rep, taking part in stage shows & entertainment. I fell into recruitment in my mid-twenties and quickly progressed to Recruitment Manager and then into my first teaching role as a Customer Trainer in the Civil Service. I knew at that point I had found my calling; teaching is my talent! This role also included supporting clients into self-employment by working alongside the HMRC & Local Business Chambers. Creating BCD was simply combining all my skills into one place. Sales, advertising, people management, recruitment, HR, training ……..

I am also a performer and regularly tour with Fire, Ostrich Feather Fans and Big Boa Stage Acts. I host and organize the BCD Best Of BURLESQUE Finals Nights and Annual Shows, alongside many other smaller events.

There’s something for everyone at Burlesque Chair Dance; Shows, Events, Performing, FLEX IT (splits training), BURN CLUB (group weight loss & weights training) and Fire Eating Workshops. But at its core; friendship, confidence, and good old fashioned fun & dance!

In April 2024 we attended the LBA Coastal Radio Awards at Blackpool Tower Ballroom, and we won Best in Health, Fitness & Wellness 2024. Accepting this award (sharing the same stage as Strictly), was simply one of the best experiences of my life! In May 2025 we only went and won it again! That’s 2 years running for the LBA award and such a fantastic achievement for us as a company.

HQ is based here in Blackpool; our shows are hosted at the prestigious Viva on the prom and Lancashire is the heart of Burlesque Chair Dance.

We started training instructors online via zoom in lockdown, they were instantly popular and ladies from all parts of the UK benefited from online training, saving time and money on travel and accommodation. Our Online Training Courses receive the highest praise and feedback from all our students, who are now teaching their own successful classes across the UK.

Our next Instructor Training Course is in June, and we would love to hear from you, visit our website https://www.burlesquechairdance.uk/belladiamond

I can’t wait to meet you!

Bella Diamond – Boss Lady BCD xx