Pupils will have the chance to rap, tap and street-dance their way to a healthier, brighter future when the studio opens in October.

The £181,000 studio is being built to the highest standards. The school plans to apply to sportscotland for more funding to develop the facility.

This latest expenditure will put investment in dance on a similar level to a recent spend on 3G football pitches.

It will broaden the curriculum and means that pupils can now choose to take an SQA Higher in Dance.

Councillor Jacqueline Henry, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s education policy board is convinced the new facility will bring great benefits to pupils.

She said: “Dance is great exercise and it often appeals to people who aren’t so interested in other sports.

“It also connects to other subjects such as music, drama and design. Dancing is sociable, it builds teamwork and it develops commitment.

“There is no doubt that the studio with be a great asset to learning and to the life of the school.

“This is largely about ambition and imagination and will open up opportunities for the whole community.” With the studio expected to encourage more pupils to take up the performing arts, Johnstone High is developing its own showbiz aspirations and plans to make the school show into an annual, rather than a biannual event.

Johnstone’s dance and theatre groups will also be able to get into the groove by letting the studio on evenings and at weekends; ensuring that the local community gets the chance to dance itself fitter. Councillor Iain McMillan, Chair of Renfrewshire’s community care, health and wellbeing board said: “This will be a great asset for Johnstone.

“I hope that residents will use the studio to enjoy dance and reap its benefits to their health, social life and sense of wellbeing.”