A POLE dancing mum who teaches ‘gravity-defying superhero moves’ to help boost women’s mental health has scooped another national award.

Natalie Morgan-Dew, who teaches burlesque and pole dancing at her Mizz Twisted Cherry aerial and alternative dance studios in Ross-on-Wye, won the UK National Family Business Network award at a ceremony in London in the ‘Against All Odds’ category.

The honour follows the UK’s Happiest Workplace Person award last December, as well as the platinum and audience awards at the North Wales Seren Yn Codi (Rising Star) burlesque festival in Conwy in January.

Natalie, who has herself battled through anorexia and agoraphobia, said: “I really can’t believe how well our little studio is doing on the national awards front at the moment.

“It really is raising the profile of not only our studios, but our community in Ross-on-Wye and surrounding areas, and the profile of aerial fitness and its connection with mental health benefits and issues, which is what myself and the studio is a strong advocate for.”

Th ‘Against All Odds’ award, announced at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in London Docklands, is open to any business that has overcome adverse circumstances and succesfully fought to continue its journey.

Natalie beat her health problems when she fell pregnant with young daughter Ophelia, and now runs her studios to boost women’s mental health and self-esteem.

“Mizz Twisted Cherry Studio is a hub of support and enrichment,” she said. “We believe that making fitness fun and helping people achieve great physical triumphs in lessons aids people in improving their mental health and self-esteem.

“We have fun, we get silly, but we also make gravity-defying superhero moves and support each other through whatever life has in store for us all.”

Husband Ben said: “Natalie’s taken the burlesque world, which is vast in the UK and internationally. Her performances are very theatrical, comical and vivacious. She is always telling a story through her acts, it’s a mini piece of theatre.

“Her acts defy the prejudice that burlesque is tasteless, and I hope her competition wins and standard of performance shows how incredibly skilled this type of art can be when practised and perfected, as well as abolish the stigma around the word burlesque.”

He has previously told how Natalie had helped victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, people who have lost children and loved ones and people going through divorces and suffering anxiety.