The VSSS usually has thousands of children from government schools performing on stage at Melbourne Arena to a packed audience, but this year it has become a virtual event.

Children, including students from Yuille Park P-8 Community College, Buninyong Primary School and Woodmans Hill Secondary College who are all part of the massed dance, and several students from other schools who are part of the orchestra, have continued rehearsing at home during lockdown.

And family members have become camera operators to record their parts.

Yuille Park teacher Brianna Dredge had 16 young dancers eager to be part of the arena experience but equally excited to see themselves on television screens next month.

"We've been doing the VSSS for 12 years now and normally rehearsals start in February and go through to September when the show is at Melbourne Arena," she said.

The dancers took part in their first rehearsal in February, with Yuille Park hosting students from the other Ballarat schools taking part, but after COVID hit they went home with a disc of the dancers so they could continue to practice at home.

When they returned to school late in term two they practiced together, but then the second lockdown hit.

"It was then we were officially told it would be a virtual show, and all the teachers involved had to quickly learn some new media and editing skills," Ms Dredge said.

The number of dances was reduced and each student had to get someone at home to film them on a smartphone while they did their dances in front of a blank wall.

"Once they realised it was going to be online they kept rehearsing at home all the way through," Ms Dredge said. "It's something different this year and the kids can say they were part of that."

VSSS artistic director Neil Gladwin said it has been "exceptionally challenging" turning the live show in to a virtual event.

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"In March when the first lockdown happened everything shifted to online rehearsals for the principal cast and we were hoping there would still be rehearsals going on in schools with choir and dance teachers ... but we were rehearsing three shows with the main cast - a live show, one filmed in a television studio and a worst case scenario performing to a camera in a lounge room and that's what ended up happening."

More than 50 principal performers were sent green screen kits, professional cameras and lighting kids to record their songs, dances and recitals with producers linking to them via Zoom to supervise the recording sessions.

"We were aware that keeping rehearsals going through the year was important to kids and family," Mr Gladwin said. "The kids had focus and an objective each week in turning up for rehearsals and the amount of resilience they showed was immense."

Mr Gladwin said the final show, to be telecast on Channel 7 next month, was essentially like making 14 different music videos with thousands of performers.