THE dancing feet of a primary school teacher have helped raise more than £12,000 for a county respite charity.

Strictly Leuchie raised thousands of pounds for Leuchie House, near North Berwick, when more than 350 people packed Haddington’s Corn Exchange on September 8 to watch a fantastic dance show.

Eight couples were paired up at the end of June and spent 10 weeks learning and perfecting their dance moves.

Jackie Gentil, who is principal teacher at Macmerry Primary School, was crowned the winner alongside her dance partner Jane Libberton.

Mairi O’Keefe, Leuchie House CEO, said: “We are thrilled that Strictly Leuchie has raised so much for our charity again this year.

“It was a wonderful night and the dancers were incredible. To go from never having danced in public before to performing so well in front of a huge audience after only 10 weeks takes loads of hard work and commitment.”

Joining Jackie on the dancefloor were Ali Wood (a craft beer sales manager, from Longniddry), Alex Cunningham (civil servant, Haddington), Zoe Keddie-Dixon (hotel owner, from Yetholm), Becky Everett (head of operations at Leuchie, from Pencaitland), Callum Mark (director of Foxlake Adventures, from North Berwick), Carol Fish (dentist, North Berwick), Joyce Lukkes-Presley (mindfulness teacher, from Haddington) and Nicola Collin (facilities manager at Leuchie, from Dunbar), along with seven professional dancers.

Each pair had a different dance style – such as the jive, pasodoble, samba, cha cha cha, Bollywood and Irish dance – to learn. After each couple had performed their routine, the audience voted for their three favourites.

Alex Cunningham and his partner Leigh Morrison, who performed a fast-paced Bollywood routine, which brought a touch of India to the Corn Exchange; and Ali Wood, along with his partner Heather Antonelli, who did a salsa show dance to the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman, were announced as finalists alongside Jackie and Jane.

The audience then voted for a second time and chose Jackie and Jane and their high-kicking Irish dance as their winner.

Jackie, 46, who lives in Haddington with her husband and three sons, said she entered the competition after having a childhood desire to be in Pan’s People!

Her dance partner Jane is a mum-of-four from Dunbar. As well as working as a post lady for Royal Mail, she teaches Irish dancing at the Aine Hay Academy of Irish Dance. She devised and choreographed the winning dance routine to the song The Irish Rover.

This is the 11th year a Strictly-themed competition has been organised for charity by Bett Morrison, from Gifford.

Tibor Poc and Hilary Mouat, the Scottish amateur ballroom and Latin American champions, performed two Latin American demonstration dances, with the Aine Hay Irish Academy and Dunbar School of Dance also entertaining.

Bett said: “What a wonderful evening of dance and entertainment – such a variety of styles of dance.

“Well done to everyone who took part and a special congratulations to the three couples who danced in the final – they were all amazing.”

Former Scottish international rugby player Andy Irvine presented the winning couple with the Niall Fairgrieve Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the competition winners in memory of a much-missed local rugby player.

Mrs O’Keefe added: “We are very grateful to them, to all their professional partners, the amazing Bett Morrison, to our special guest Andy Irvine, to all the volunteers who helped on the night, and all the many other people who were involved in making it such a huge success.”