PUPILS have been given a masterclass in African dance by a university student in Durham on a special scholarship.

Seven and eight-year-olds at Blue Coat Junior School, in Newton Hall, Durham City, were taught to dance the Sho Sho Loza by Mthoko Ntuli, 31, a Durham Business School student from Durban, South Africa.

The dance mirrors the movement of a train as it winds its way around Table Mountain, Cape Town's most famous landmark.

Mthoko is studying in Durham on a scholarship from the Ruth First Trust, which enables disadvantaged South Africans to attend the university, and was set up in memory of the anti-apartheid campaigner, who was killed by a parcel bomb in 1982.

He agreed to pass on his dancing skills to the youngsters after meeting their dance teacher, Susan Pickersgill, at the university's African banquet earlier this year.

Mrs Pickersgill said: "I knew the children would really enjoy meeting Mthoko and learning a brand-new style of dance, so I invited him along to give us an impromptu lesson.

"It's good for the children to try something new and learn about different cultures."

Pupil Zoe Gordon, eight, said: "My favourite part of the class was learning how to sing the Sho Sho Loza and do the train dance at the same time.

"Mthoko sang the words and showed us the dance steps and we all copied. It was good fun."

Mthoko said: "It has been a pleasure to come into the school and teach the children dances that I learned as a child in Durban. It is important to me to support the local community in Durham.''