Parents so proud of dancer Tim's MBE

A dancer and choreographer from South Staffordshire has been awarded an MBE.

Note: There are some technical issues with sound quality at times in this video.

Timothy Rushton, who grew up in Brewood, was given the honour for his work all over Europe.The 38-year-old is now the artistic director at the Copenhagen-based Danish Dance Theatre.

The former pupil of Wolgarston High School, Penkridge, has been living abroad for the past two decades and is now one of the best-known choreographers in Denmark.

He began his dancing career at the Marilyn Harris Dance School in Sedgley as a youngster. He trained at The Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden, London, from 1979 to 1982, studying with Erik Bruhn, Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan.

Later he danced with the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet, now known as the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Since 2001 he has been artistic leader of the Danish Dance Theatre and has been nominated seven times and won three times the country's Reumert Prize.

Since 2006 he has been listed in Kraks Blå Bog, the Danish Who's Who.Mr Rushton's parents Peter and Valerie, of Engleton Lane, Brewood, have had to keep their son's award a secret after learning he would gain the MBE in the 2011 New Year's Honours list.

Proud mother Valerie Rushton said: "We knew for about a month before it was announced and we had to keep it to ourselves."Nothing like this has ever happened in our family really, so it is rather marvellous.

"We are very proud of Tim. He has worked really hard."