Staff and pupils at Bell Baxter High School in Cupar welcomed Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop as they showed off the dancing prowess that became a recent internet sensation.

The Fife school achieved worldwide fame when staff and pupils, led by headteacher Phil Black, were filmed performing an impromptu dance routine in the school canteen. The video has notched up more than 360,000 hits on YouTube.

Ms Hyslop said:

“Dance is great fun. It’s a fantastic way to keep fit and has a great power to bring people together, to break down boundaries and to make people smile. Mr Black, his staff and senior pupils certainly achieved that when they performed for the rest of the school earlier this year and became an internet hit.

Dance is more popular than football in Scotland as a physical activity and we really want to Get Scotland Dancing in the run up to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games to create a healthier nation. With something happening in every community across the country- from traditional ceilidhs to local dance classes – it’s really easy to get involved, even if you’ve never done it before.

“We want to build on the huge enthusiasm that already exists for dance in Scotland and ensure that more people have the opportunity to participate. We are also committed to supporting Scotland’s vibrant dance sector and using dance to promote Scottish culture and creativity on the world stage.”

The flashmob dance took place in May and was meant as a thank you and goodbye to the senior pupils – a little bit of light relief before they broke off for their study leave.

Mr Black said:

“I think it is important to foster positive relationships with our pupils. We wanted to give the seniors something to remember and what better way than with a dance.

‘I’d never danced before but I really enjoyed it, so did the rest of the staff. Not only did it cheer everyone up but it’s a great way to get fit too.”