Kettering dance school to mark decade of studio with 10-hour marathon in memory of MND dad

A Kettering dance school is going to take on a 10-hour marathon to mark a decade in their premises and to raise money in memory of a former pupil's father.

The Anderson School of Dance moved into a new permanent home after teacher Christy Anderson fulfilled her dream of opening a studio.

To mark the decade of dance, Miss Anderson will be joined by a group of students on Sunday, May 2, for a 10-hour marathon - one hour for each year.

Fundraising for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND ) in memory of Kettering husband and father-of-two Craig Ruston, pupils will add to the total with sponsored stretches and a 10-mile walk.

Miss Anderson said: "We promised to do some fundraising in his name, as we usually do fundraising events for different charities every year, but with the lockdowns and restrictions this was not possible.

"As this is now the 10-year anniversary of being in our own studio building we decided to do an event to mark that, and raise money at the same time."

Miss Anderson started ballet at the age of two-and-a-half doing ballet before studying modern, tap, jazz, ballroom and latin.

Trained at Laine Theatre Arts, Miss Anderson worked as a dancer for four years before starting to teach.

She said: "I set up the dance school in Kettering in 2003 just renting a hall one day a week doing street dance classes.

"The business has grown year on year, and in 2011 we moved into our own studio building. This enabled us to expand even more and we now do classes in ballet, tap, modern, street dance, contemporary, jazz, flexibility and musical theatre.

"We are really happy to be able to celebrate our tenth anniversary in our own building and to raise funds for such a worthy cause.

"A couple of years before the lockdown a dad of one of our pupils was diagnosed with MND. He sadly died in March 2020, at the age of 45.

"We are doing the danceathon in memory of Craig Ruston and all money raised will go directly to the charity, to help research into the disease."

Sally Ruston, Craig's widow added: "Miss Anderson contacted me last year and said at her next opportunity she would fundraise for the MNDA.

"It means the world that Miss Anderson and her students are taking on this challenge and that Craig’s memory lives on. It is so important that there is continued awareness for this awful disease and more funding is needed to support those living with MND and a cure to at least put a stop to its progression.

"Craig was so passionate about doing anything he could to share his daily fight and support others with MND and assist with research at any opportunity that was given. I know that he would have been so thankful to Anderson School of Dance for this."

To support the Anderson School of Dance fundraising danceathon in memory of Craig Ruston and donate to the Motor Neurone Disease Association click here.