Ballarat community groups are working together to help young people re-engage in the hobbies they love.
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Ballarat Netball Association has teamed up with the Academy of Classical Ballet to help young dancers resume face-to-face classes for the first time in months.
The ballet academy has arranged to use the netball association's outdoor courts for Wednesday night and Saturday classes to comply with COVID-19 restrictions.
Outdoor sport is resuming for juniors under eased regional restrictions, but dance schools remain unable to teach in their studios and are looking to outdoor options.
We are basically trying to find a way to keep the children engaged and doing the activity they love.
- Kellie Fishwick-Roscoe, The Academy of Classical Ballet
The Academy of Classical Ballet director Kellie Fishwick-Roscoe said she had been teaching classes online throughout lockdown, but students were eager to restart face-to-face lessons.
"Children have had enough of online. Now some of the restrictions have been eased children have options," she said.
"They can start netball, they can start other outdoor sports but unfortunately dance schools seem to have been forgotten and we are still unable to teach in our studios.
"We are basically trying to find a way to keep the children engaged and doing the activity they love."
The state government has not released specific guidelines for dance schools, so they are following broad guidelines of groups of 10 able to do physical activity outdoors.
Ms Fishwick-Roscoe said dance teachers would have to adapt their classes to the outdoor surface which was not ideal for dancing, but the lighting and security at the Ballarat Netball Association suited their needs.
Ballarat Netball Association netball operations and vice president Jo Dash said she was more than happy to work with the dance academy to help more children get back to doing what they loved.
"This is such a great story of collaboration and cooperation and another group of kids being able to use our terrific facilities," she said.
"The facility will be used almost every day of the week again."
The association's junior summer netball competition started on the outdoor courts this week.
Eased restrictions allow junior netball to resume outdoors with regular team numbers, but with additional hygiene and contact tracing measures in place.
Ms Dash said she was grateful to the association's volunteers who put their hands up to assist in keeping up with the extra measures and ultimately allowing the season to go ahead.
The Academy of Classical Ballet held its first dance lessons at the netball courts on Wednesday night.
"All we can do is try to ensure everyone is safe and keep these kids dancing because they have missed it so much," Ms Fishwick-Roscoe said.
"This will be a really nice chance to get together in a safe environment."