PUPILS have found an exciting alternative to PE lessons — a virtual dance teacher.

Canon Slade School has been given a £10,000 grant to buy a virtual dance coaching machine, which can teach pupils everything from street dance steps to yoga.

The cyber-coach is a computerised instruction system, which connects to a sound system, a big screen projector and 12 dance mats.

It has 50 different programmes featuring video footage of professional dance tutors to show children the moves.

The tutor image is projected onto the wall of Canon Slade’s sports hall and the mats record the movements the pupils make to ensure they are doing it right. As well as dozens of types of dance styles, the machine also has football and karate move programmes.

PE teacher Ann Furlong said the cyber-coach was aimed at youngsters who may not enjoy traditional team sports.

She said: “It’s a really fun programme. We’re trying to target the girls and boys who are turned off by sport from the age of 14 upwards.

“There’s a place for sports, but something like this is there for anyone who wants to do something different.

“We had a trial and everybody who had a go really enjoyed it. They said it was the best thing they had done.”

The cyber coach is supplied by QCL, a company based at The Valley in Bolton.

Director Ron Jones said: “Schools can’t afford to bring in dance teachers every week for different lessons and classes. This machine does it all. It brings real skills into school.”

Pupil Ruth Wright, aged 15, from Bromley Cross, said: “It’s really good fun. It is exercising without knowing it and it’s more enjoyable than netball.”