A NEW Gorleston dance studio welcomed a star supporting cast when TV star Andrew Stone turned up for the opening ceremony on Tuesday.An expectant 250-strong crowd arrived hoping to catch a glimpse of, or get an autograph from, the Pineapple Dance Studios star when he opened the Dusmagrik Productions Academy (DPA) on Longs Industrial Estate.

A NEW Gorleston dance studio welcomed a star supporting cast when TV star Andrew Stone turned up for the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

An expectant 250-strong crowd arrived hoping to catch a glimpse of,

or get an autograph from, the

Pineapple Dance Studios star when he opened the Dusmagrik Productions Academy (DPA) on Longs Industrial Estate.

Stone, who became a star alongside Louie Spence as dance teachers on the Sky One show, spoke at length to the DPA's students and even taught a ballet class of 37 students during his five-hour stay.

And the dance teacher, who originally comes from Norwich, also stayed to sign autographs and field questions from his excited fans.

Many of the academy's pupils will also get an early taste of stardom as TV cameras were filming Stone for new Sky One series Showbiz, the follow-up to Pineapple Dance Studios, which airs in January.

The DPA has opened the new

studio at Long's Industrial Estate to provide dance training for the academy's 126 students, aged between three and 21.

Dusmagrik principal Karen Thompson said the star guest spoke about his roots in Norwich and the importance of the new studio.

She said: “He talked to them about the fact that he did not have a facility like this when he was younger and that they should be inspired by dancers and follow their dreams. He spoke really well.”

The DPA opened the new studio because it wanted its own self-contained facility with a reception area where students could sign in and wait before dance training. The academy was previously based at Cliff Park High School in Gorleston.

l For more information, email karen@dpadreams.co.uk.