School pupils across Liverpool have staged the largest-ever simultaneous dance event. They set a world record when around 30,000 pupils from 150 schools danced around their respective playgrounds last week.

They jiggled, jumped and jived their way through a choreographed routine, set to a soundtrack including T-Rex’s `I Like To Boogie’ and `Cha-Cha Slide’ by DJ Casper. It was broadcast live on radio in schools to ensure that the pupils moved to the music together.

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary, 141 pupils performed the routine, while younger children improvised alongside. PE coordinator Faye Holme said: “Children like to dance. But they enjoyed it a lot more because they knew that other children across the city were also taking part.”

The “Rise and Shine” collective dance forms part of a health-and-fitness programme. To prepare for the event, pupils practised for 18 months, dancing for 10 minutes every day. Katie McFarlane, 11, said: “I liked learning the dance moves. It made me feel like I was in a Justin Timberlake video, dancing as well as him.”

Photograph: Ben RussellGuzelian.