KIND-HEARTED and talented young dancers have raised more than £1,600 for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Dunbar School of Dancing ran its 14th annual Christmas special, which was held in the town’s secondary school before Christmas.

There were four shows in one weekend, starting on a Friday evening, with two on the Saturday before the curtain fell on the Sunday afternoon.

Each show was a sell-out and all finished with standing ovations in the finale.

The talented children, aged three to 17, had a fabulous time in dances from Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music to Michael Jackson and many current artists.

They danced ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and Scottish.

As always, the show raised money for the Sick Kids hospital and the total collected was £1,679.97.

The money is going to help establish a pill school, which is a psychology programme to help children swallow oral medicines, especially tablets.

This is particularly important for children on long-term medication and for those who need medicine which is not available in liquid form. A few hospitals in England have set up such a pill school with great success.

Some of the money was also to be used to help make Christmases better for those children unable to go home over the holidays.

Julie Friar, from Dunbar School of Dancing, added: “I am very grateful to all the parents, ex-pupils and senior pupils that came along to help at rehearsals and shows; they play a vital part in the smooth and safe running of the shows.

“I am also very lucky to have two amazing teachers working with me, Miss Gemma Knight and Miss Kerry Mathieson.”

Thanks to Ron Taylor Studio, Musselburgh, for the pics.