Pupils are preparing to try some fancy footwork following the completion of their school's £250,000 dance studio.

Shotton Hall School, in Peterlee, began planning the fame academy-style studio after it was granted Performing Arts College status.

Yesterday the studio, which has a sprung floor, mirrored wall, surrounding wall rails and sound system, was ready for action. Performing arts are taught in each year of the school and include drama, music, dance and media studies.

Expert tuition is given in each of the fields with professional dancers and musicians visiting on a regular basis.

The studio has been fitted out to be used by both children and adult students and is planned to also be used by the individuals, groups and organisations from the community.

Judith Cook, the school's head of the performing arts faculty, expressed her delight at the completion of the studio.

"Although it has taken a long time to be actually developed and built I am absolutely delighted by the end product," she said.

"The dance studio is very spacious and I think school students and students from the wider community will be hard pressed to find a better facility anywhere in Britain.''

The school has already notched up some notable achievements in its performing arts.

Recently a group of pupils performed the Haka - the dance carried out by the New Zealand rugby team before matches - to mark the arrival of the Rugby World Cup in the district.

But the studio will primarily be used to develop the school's dance curriculum, within and outside of the school day.

Zoe Peel, the school's dance teacher, said: "I am really excited about this new facility. It is almost a dream come true to have such wonderful facilities at school.''

Pupils at the school will be the first to use the new studio with public access being offered shortly after.

Headteacher Ian Mowbray said there had already been a huge amount of interest from the community in the quarter dance centre.