Allonge’ Dance Academy on South Main Street will hold a dance-a-thon for teams to help lift a young dancer’s spirits and raise money for her fight with cancer.

The “Dancing Under the Stars” fundraiser will be held on the evening of May 17. Teams will compete and dance the night away in honor of 10-year-old Anna Weissner, an academy student battling leukemia.

The event will be from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at 152 S. Main St. There will be a special performance for Anna by the ensemble dancers before the dance-a-thon kicks off at 6:30 p.m., plus a special message from Anna and her parents Stacy and Will Weissner of Suffolk.

Stacy Weissner said she is grateful for all of the support that Anna and the rest of the family has received, and for the academy’s director Amanda Short to organize this fundraiser.

“We’ve just been very, very thankful for the support that we’ve gotten, and for just how everyone has stood beside us through this,” Weissner said in a phone interview.

Teams of five or more will dance non-stop for three hours on the lawn. Each team must have at least one team member dancing at all times, with members tagging each other in and out as they keep on moving throughout the night.

Anna will award the team with the most team spirit and another for the best dance moves — plus “Anna’s Choice” award, Short said.

“There’s absolutely no dance experience required,” she said. “It’s just an opportunity for the community to come together to honor Anna as she walks through this difficult time in her life.”

Dancers can also participate in honor of someone else they care about that’s battling cancer, and others that aren’t participating directly can simply come to root for their favorite teams, Short said.

“We’d love for them to come bring a lawn chair, sit out and root for their favorite team,” she said.

Registration will be $20 per person. Registration forms must be filled out and submitted by April 15. People can receive these forms by calling the studio at 738-5833, emailing info@allongedanceacademy.com or visiting the studio.

Registration forms need to be mailed or dropped off at Allonge’ Dance Academy, 152 S. Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. Business hours are from 2 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Online donations can be made either to Anna’s family directly at fundly.com/dancingforleukemia, or for the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters cancer program at www.teamchkd.org/dancingforanna. Those links are also available at www.facebook.com/allongedance.

Donations for CHKD may also be submitted by check with the memo “Cancer Program Donation in Anna’s Honor” to the Allonge’ Dance Academy mailing address. Checks for the family may be sent to the same mailing address as well.

Email allongedirector@gmail.com or visit allongedanceacademy.com for more information.