Strictly Charleston raises over £750 for Mind Charity

Strictly Charleston dance contest raises over £750 at the opening weekend at Brighton Fringe.

Brighton Fringe kicked started last weekend with plenty of flicks and tricks at the Brighton Spiegeltent where local dance company MyCharleston held a ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ style competition in aid of Mind, the mental health charity. In the run up to the event, MyCharleston trained three members of staff from Hilton Brighton Metropole – Maria Di Leo, Sara Merriman and Inmaculada Guerra Sanchez – for a month with a professional dancer partner. Each couple took to the floor on the 5th May to win votes from the audience of 200 people, raising over £750 for their chosen charity. The hotel’s Front Office Supervisor Maria di Leo won with dance partner Rachel Hulme.

Event organiser Elena Collins said ‘This is the third year we have hosted our charity Charleston competition at the Fringe and each year it gets better and better. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the audience’.

The afternoon also included dance workshops, performances, a best dressed competition hosted by Open Space Studios and a public dance-off where one lucky attendee won a £150 gift voucher for vintage boutique Pretty Eccentric in the North Laines.

In case you missed it, here are the three routine:

Elena and Sara: Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines 

Sara & Elena perform Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines at the MyCharleston Speakeasy 2018 Three members of staff from Brighton Hilton Metropole took on the challenge in order to raise money for the Mind, mental health charity. Sara had just three weeks to learn this Charleston routine.

Rowena and Inma: Let's Misbehave

Inma & Rowena Let's Misbehave MyCharleston Speakeasy 2018 Three members of staff from Brighton Hilton Metropole took on the challenge in order to raise money for the charity Mind. Inma had just three weeks to learn this Charleston routine. She performed it live at the Spegeltent as part of the Brighton Fringe.

Rachel and Sol: You Rascal You

Sol & Rachel (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You MyCharleston Speakeasy 2018 Three members of staff from Brighton Hilton Metropole took on the challenge in order to raise money for the charity Mind. Sol had just three weeks to learn this Charleston routine.