Our Instructors

Ginger Leigh (she/they)
Founder, Head Mistress, Director, Co-owner, Founding Instructor

Ginger Leigh made her way to burlesque in 2006 with The Peek-A-Boo Revue and her life was changed forever. Ginger founded the Philadelphia Burlesque Academy in 2013 (originally known as the Peek-A-Boo Dance Clinic) and has loved every minute of it. Holding a BA in Dance Studies from the University of South Florida, she loves combining her classical training with the art of the striptease, while smashing the idea that only select bodies are meant to dance and be seen.

Some of the highlights from Ginger’s burlesque career are Peek-A-Boo Revue’s headlining show in the 2017 Munich Burlesque Festival, multiple performances in Berlin, Peek-A-Boo's title of Best Troupe at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2008 and 2012, and group performances in the New York, Vancouver, Colorado, and Philadelphia Burlesque Festivals.

Meet Your Instructors

Cherry Bomb (she/her)
Assistant Director, Co-owner, Founding Instructor

Cherry Bomb has a strong background in musical theatre and joined the Peek-A-Boo Revue Neo-Burlesque Troupe in 2005. She became the group's managing director in 2012 and performed with the group when they won Best Troupe at The Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2008 & 2012 as well as performed at festivals in Denver, Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Munich and Berlin, Germany. Cherry Bomb has been a proud instructor at the Philadelphia Burlesque Academy since its inception in 2013.

When Cherry isn’t performing and teaching, you can find her being a real-estate boss, spinning house music as DJ Cherry B, and snuggling with her dog and cats!

Sophie Sucré (she/her)
Founding Instructor, Burlesque Act Development Guest Instructor

Sophie Sucré is a Philadelphia based Burlesque and dance artist, beginning her performance journey with Philadelphia dance companies DanceTheaterX (Charles O. Anderson 2009-2013) then idiosynCrazy productions (Jumatatu Poe/Shannon Murphy 2009-2011), and since with choreographers Antoinette Coward-Gilmore, Meredith Rainey, Tania Isaac, Kate Watson-Wallace, Megan Mazarick, Shannon Murphy, and Gunnar Montana. She received a 2015 Rocky Award for her dance and admin work with organizations Dance/USA Philadelphia, Ars Nova Workshop, and Headlong.

As her Burlesque persona Sophie Sucre, she was co-choreographer and soloist with Burlesque Troupe the Peek-A-Boo Revue, Burlesque Hall of Fame Best Troupe (Las Vegas, NV 2008, 2012). PBR headlined the Munich Burlesque Festival in 2017. Sophie competed in the inaugural Noire Pageant, the first-ever all POC Burlesque Pageant March 2020.

Jewelissa (they/she)
Director of Community Engagement, Social Media, Instructor

Jewelissa is an award-winning burlesque performer, movement alchemist, and storyteller whose work blends theatrical burlesque, drag, prop work, clown, and character-driven performance. Over the past decade, they've taught and performed throughout the region at festivals and events including RVA Burlesque Festival, BeardFest, Lunar Faire, CirQueer, Anahata’s Purpose, Flow Fest Philly, and OurFest Philadelphia.

Jewelissa teaches movement as an extension of storytelling, including prop work instruction at PBA such as fan veil, fishbone fans, weighted veil, dance silk veil and more. Known for making every class a creative playground, they prioritize inclusivity, multiple learning styles, and collaborative learning, creating a space where every student can feel seen, supported, and excited to create.

Queen Nzinga (she/her)
Instructor

Queen Zinga is an award-winning burlesque performer, instructor, and creator of TWERKLESQUE®, her signature fusion of burlesque and twerk. With more than 25 years of dance training spanning ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, and African dance, she's performed at festivals across the country and has been featured on AMC/Sundance's Thick Skin.

Her classes are high-energy, empowering, and joyfully unapologetic. Whether you're learning the foundations of twerk or combining it with burlesque, Queen Zinga creates a space where every student can move with confidence, embrace self-expression, and have an incredible time shaking ass.

Margot Starlux (she/they)
Instructor

Margot has spent a lifetime dancing, beginning with ballet and jazz before discovering go-go dancing and burlesque. Their movement draws inspiration from the Golden Age of burlesque, vintage dance styles, swing, and nightlife/exotic styles. They've performed throughout the country, including the Philadelphia Burlesque Festival, New York Burlesque Festival, Teaser Festival, Nerdlesque Festival, and many more, even headlining as Pizza Wolf at Hot & Cheesy: A Pizza Burlesque Festival.

Margot creates classes where students feel accepted exactly as they are. Their teaching encourages students to slow down, appreciate the details, and make choreography their own. Expect a thoughtful class filled with laughter, confidence-building, and plenty of opportunities to explore your own movement style.

Bear Trap (he/him)
Instructor

Bear Trap has been a professional dancer since 2013 and has performed burlesque since 2017. A graduate of Temple University with a BFA in Dance, his background in modern and post-modern dance informs his thoughtful approach to movement. His performance career includes appearances at the International Berlin Boylesque Festival and earning the title of Mr. Hollywood 2024.

His classes blend dance technique, mindful movement, and choreography to help students better understand their bodies while building confidence. Expect moments of reflection, technical exploration, and then once everything clicks, a room full of people ready to party. Whether you're new to movement or refining your craft, Bear Trap creates a space where curiosity is just as important as choreography.

Ashantidoll (she/her)
Instructor

Ashantidoll brings a lifelong background in West African dance and performance, training with instructors from Mali and Senegal before developing her signature blend of sensual, flowing movement and vibrant stage presence.

Her classes begin with one simple idea: connect with your body first. Through musicality, eye contact, body tracing, and intentional movement, students learn to make classic burlesque vocabulary uniquely their own. She creates an environment where structure and creativity exist side by side, encouraging students to loosen up, ask questions, and trust themselves.

Christine Sampson-Lindsey (she/her)
Instructor

Christine has danced her entire life, earning a BFA before building a career performing across television, film, live events, and commercial productions. Her credits include the NBA, Ugly Betty, Power, The Today Show, BET, Comcast On Demand, and performances with a variety of artists.

Her classes are energetic, engaging, and rooted in storytelling. Christine believes choreography comes alive through the performer, helping students build confidence, stage presence, and performance quality while having fun along the way. She loves watching students grow, not just as dancers, but as artists. Students feel cheered on when Christine is around as her energy is as palpable as it is contagious, in the best way possible.

Maria Topcatt (she/her)
Instructor

Maria TopCatt is a 14-year veteran of the drag and burlesque world, performing and hosting nationally and internationally. Her credits include the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender, New York Burlesque Festival, Teaser Festival, and Kitten & Lou's Jingle All the Gay.

Drawing from ballroom, Latin dance, musical theatre, drag, and burlesque, Maria's classes focus on the beauty of simple movement. She believes great performance starts with learning how to walk with intention, connect to the music, and find confidence in the fundamentals. Students leave with a stronger understanding of musicality and a new appreciation for the power of "fancy walking."