A DANCE teacher was leaping for joy after meeting one of her idols.

Jayne Borland, who runs weekly ballet classes for young children in Bury and Bolton, met dancer and Stepping Out judge Wayne Sleep.

Mrs Borland, of Outwood Road, Radcliffe, even got to dance with the superstar, to the famous Cabaret number Money.

Wayne was guest speaker at the annual conference of the national dancing organisation babyballet, which was held in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Renowned for being the shortest male dancer ever accepted into the Royal Ballet School, at 5ft 2in, he has performed with Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev and Princess Diana.

Earlier this year, Wayne won public acclaim for turning non-professional, overweight amateurs into dancers for the Channel 4 documentary Big Ballet. At the conference, he spoke to audiences about his career and held a dance workshop.

Mrs Borland, aged 39, said: “I idolise Wayne Sleep and was starstruck. I didn’t realise some of the great things he has done in dancing until I met him. He spoke from the heart and inspired us all, but it was dancing with him that really made my day. He is so theatrical and such great fun. I had the best time ever.”

Mrs Borland set up the Bury and Bolton branches of baby-ballet in 2009 after giving birth to her daughter, to allow her flexible hours to work around being a mother.

She now has nearly 400 pupils in the Bolton and Bury area.

Mrs Borland added: “I love being part of babyballet, because it’s not exclusive. It’s for everyone.”

Anyone who would like more details can visit babyballet.co.uk.