Musician Bruno Mars performs during the benefit "Songs From the Silverscreen" to raise funds for The Rainforest Trust at Caregie Hall in New York, April 3, 2012. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)
A Texas high school took on Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' hit song "Uptown Funk" in a high-energy video that went viral on YouTube.
A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School director and theater arts teacher Scot Pankey led his students in the choreographed performance that has gained nearly half a million views and counting since it was posted online on Jan 24.
"I heard the song before Christmas and fell in love with it," Pankey told FOX411. "I love Bruno Mars. We are a project-based school instead of having lectures. I said for our next project I want the students to get ready, and we would need to dance."
The theater students came together with technology students to help create the video.
"We are a tech school so to get them up dancing was a feat in itself," he said. "I have the best students in the world. I was hoping we would post on YouTube on Sunday, so their parents and friends would see it, and you would maybe 1,000 clicks and instead we have 400,000 in 48 hours."
The song mentions liquor but Pankey said his students know not to drink while underage.
"It was rhythm and not the lyrics that caused me to choose the song."
Fox News' Diana Falzone contributed to this report.
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