Участница фестиваля Boomtown 2026 нашла в воркшопе по твирку unexpected empowerment

I participated in a twerk workshop at Boomtown 2026 and found an unexpected sense of empowerment. One of the amazing things about Boomtown is the sheer number of events that are going on, aside from the music. I took a step away from the performances to explore the Rebel Girl’s Club tent and partake in their twerk workshop, run by Ivy Rose, from Bristol-based brand Everglowing. As someone who perhaps has no sense of rhythm/dance ability, I welcomed that the class was advertised for beginners. All those wishing to twerk were seated in a circle on yoga mats, with Ivy in the middle. My knowledge of twerking is very much limited to the dance move alone, so it was so interesting to hear Ivy explain the roots and benefits of twerking. Honouring the origins, Ivy explained that the act of twerking has been ‘very sexualised’ by the West, but it is actually more of a spiritual act that originated in West and Central Africa. She added that twerking can help when on your period, as it can help ease cramps and release tension in the pelvis and hips. The class began with grounding; we closed our eyes and imagined honey dripping down ourselves, focusing on each body part, starting at the head. After loosening ourselves out, Ivy guided us as we broke down the elements of twerking, beginning with dipping our hips slowly while we lay in a bridge yoga position on our back. We moved to standing up, using our knees to help isolate our hips and tilt the pelvis back and forward, aiming to keep the upper half of our body less jiggly. We alternated between practising the moves upright and lower down, alternating the speeds and extent of our pelvis tilting. We did the movements slowly, before speeding them up and combining them, and soon- we were twerking! To the tunes of My Neck, My Back, and WAP, we followed Ivy’s twerking choreography, interchanging between mainly upright, bent forwards and sometimes on the floor! The class ended with an empowerment circle, where anyone who was moved to could enter the circle and show what they had learned. This was accompanied by whooping, whistling and cheering from others who had just learnt the art of twerking. What stuck with me was the sense of collectiveness that the class had. Many people came in pairs, or on their own, and yet everyone was sharing yoga mats and clapping and cheering everyone’s twerking efforts, as if they knew each other. Speaking after the class, Ivy told me: “It is political; it's body activism. It’s anti-capitalism to be able to be free and embodied and be empowered, and even adding the sexual aspect to it as well. “Owning your sexuality is such an empowering thing, and then doing that collectively in time with each other and seeing that everyone has different bodies and moves like it's very healing.” She said twerking was ‘really beautiful’ and that anyone can benefit from it, and she has had older men in her classes who have tried twerking and realised it has helped their lower back pain.