FLIXTON Academy of Performing Arts has been teaching dance, drama and singing for 25 years.

Principal and founder Karen Baird said the centre plans to turn to the past for its silver jubilee celebrations.

The centre teaches students fromage three to adult and Karen said: "We are celebrating with a anniversary party with ex students that have now made their careers in all fields to celebrate with us.

"We also are reviving our first show dance piece Oklahoma that some of these students were in 25 years ago, with our present students to be performed on the night along with our singers performing another piece called Motown Madness.

"We will have speeches from ex students and lots of friends and family attending."

The Academy started life as Flixton Dance Studio on Brook Road and Karen said moving to its current base, the former Curzon Cinema, was one of the highlights of its first quarter of a century.

She said she started FDS 'with the aim to help children to have a hobby while at the same time keeping fit and having fun' and added several former students have turned their hobby into a career in the performing arts.

She added: "We have students that have careers in many fields within the performing arts, on cruise ships to working for Disney, We also have former students working as singers and dance teachers working in the professional business and as teachers in schools."

Karen was also quick to pay tribute to her staff, who have played their part in helping to make Flixton Academy of Performing Arts a Trafford success story.

She added: "Along with my Daughters Crystal and Naomi and an extremely talented group of teachers we run FAPA. We started on brook road with no students and built up our business through hard work and determination, serving the community by helping children find a hobby and having fun. "We are constantly trying to fund raise for the academy, as with all small businesses we we have felt the pinch of the recession."