Theresa Swain - There’s no taming Theresa

While other 50-something mums endure night sweats at home after a long day at work, longtime Queenstown dance teacher Theresa Swain is out working up a night sweat of a different kind, moonlighting as a drag queen and nightclub DJ.

At 53, Theresa, who grew up in a theatrical family in Dunedin, decided a few years ago it was “time to do something for me”.

Ever since, Theresa - a ballet and dance teacher to a school of 120 kids by day, has been transforming into a DJ by night, donning full drag costuming to the delight of the crowd... well, most of the crowd.

The act is normally well received and local club security staff are only a nod away.

Theresa’s also in demand for weddings and private birthday parties, often travelling out of town.

A typical day can start with some bleary-eyed business admin, before a midday nap, working on things like music selections, theory, or styling her drag wigs, then straight into dance teaching six days a week, and off to work at night as a DJ.

For Theresa, who started training as a radio DJ at Resort Radio in the early 1990s, it’s the ultimate lifestyle.

It can be quite a transformation shaking off her daytime chrysalis, complete with pink hair, tattoos and piercings – all pretty cool with her little ballet charges, and emerging as flirtatious and bubbly ‘Frothy’, her drag stage name.

“It’s so much fun for me. I love being an alter ego,” the mum of three now adult sons, says.

Needless to say Theresa is in demand for Winter Pride events, also helping with the admin, her highlight strutting her drag stuff along the Queenstown Airport runway during the 2023 festival. “That was absolutely outstanding, so epic!”

While there’s the odd concern from eldest son Josh that he may run into Mum in the nightclubs, her other two think it’s all pretty cool.

Besides, who else’s mum is out clubbing until 2am at 53 and racing rally cars at weekends? Theresa’s other love is racing with the Queenstown Car Club in her beloved Holden Astra.

Theresa, while a self-confessed ‘reserved’ personality, was born to perform.

“Mum wanted me to start Highland Dancing, but the teacher was retiring so ballet it was.”

Her parents were heavily involved with the Dunedin Opera Company and as the eldest of three kids Theresa says she adored ballet and always knew she’d be a teacher.

“I had the most wonderful, gentle and kind teacher, like a second mum, and she inspired me.”

It was this teacher who years later rang and encouraged Theresa to open Queenstown’s Swain School of Dance back in 1994.

“As a teenager at Otago Girls, I’d be ‘call boy’ backstage at Mum and Dad’s productions. That’s how I learned, prompting all the opera cues from books and books of music, running off to get the next act.”

Theresa taught herself piano and learned violin, flute and guitar, also taking opera lessons with Gladys Hope.

Holidays were spent in Central Otago so at 19 she headed for Queenstown in late 1994 to work for the summer and never left.

“That was my freedom.”

The late-night partying was big then too, working multiple jobs and meeting husband of 28 years Dean. “We’d head straight to Eichardt’s or Wicked’s after work and stay out all night.”

After teaching casually for a local dance school Theresa opened Swain School when another dance school closed down.

“I opened with one student – Maria Jensen, in the old Queenstown Scout Den, moving over the road to the old two-storey school building above Showbiz Queenstown which was torn down.

Theresa took space in Industrial Place, Swain School of Dance closing in 2005. She taught for Danceworks, opening Wakatipu Conservatoire of Classical Ballet in 2017.

Theresa’s directed and produced at least 32 Christmas productions - two productions a year in the 1990s, totaling 42.

Some ballet students also perform at the Community Christmas Spectacular, which Theresa helps with, the same week.

“It’s a massive job.”

Stars have been born and there have been light-hearted moments too.

It’s been too much for impeccably behaved little preschool mermaid ballerinas who couldn’t resist eating the large foam deep fried chips, one straddling hers and strutting the stage, others eating the polystyrene lollipops.

Theresa’s also done a mercy dash onto the Arrowtown Hall stage to save a hidden little ‘cupped flower’ who forgot to uncurl, just before the larger star ballerina ran on to star leap right onto her.

“We’ve also had ‘The Big Bunny Brawl” in Arrowtown when preschool ballerinas started jostling to be one shoulder in front on stage and ended up punching each other,” she chuckles.

But the show must go on and while she loves teaching it’s “sending it” out into that thronging crowd at night where Theresa gets her buzz.

And if she’s tired out after a long day… and night… then pity help any lippy male clubber who has a go at this fun-loving mum when she’s dressed in drag. “If I’m done then good luck to them, I’d say. I tell them where they can stick it!” Theresa grins.