New owners of a Wrightsville Avenue building plan to put the spring back in the former dance studio’s step.

Dance Express owners Danielle Poulos and Cami Moffitt bought 5015 Wrightsville Ave. recently for $495,000.

“We wanted a bigger space and better space, and we didn’t want to rent anymore,” Poulos said.

Dance Express has been operating out of the Wilmington address it's vacating, 902 S. College Road, for 18 years, Poulos said. A central location for a new studio was important because of the 350 students they serve, some come from communities throughout the Cape Fear region, including Carolina Beach, Leland and Hampstead, Poulos said.

She said other properties other than 5015 Wrightsville Ave., which formerly housed A Leap Above Dance Studio, would have required a lot more construction to meet the needs of a dance studio.

"We jumped on this space when it became available," Poulos said.“We’re in the process of moving and should be opening by the 17th of August.”

She and Moffitt bought Dance Express about five years ago. With the new studio comes an additional 1,500 square feet, Poulos said. Dance Express also has a location in Hampstead.

The studio offers students classes in a variety of dance genres, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and acrobatics, Poulos said.

Dawn Berard, broker in charge of Sold Buy the Sea Realty's Wilmington office, represented Dance Express in the transaction, while Eastern Carolinas Commercial Real Estate represented the seller, C Properties LLC.