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    JOYFUL RETURN: Punarvi Joshi enjoys the return to Horsham School of Dance classes after the easing of latest COVID-19 restrictions late last week. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
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    Kelsie Schnaars at Horsham Calisthenics College. Onsite lessons have returned after COVID-19 restrictions were eased.

PHOTOS: Disruptions affecting development for dancers, gymnasts

The entire June 16, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

By Dylan De Jong 

Wimmera-Mallee dance and gym coaches navigating a spate of changes to COVID-19 restrictions say erratic lockdowns this year are affecting student  learning. 



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While rules allowed physical activities to resume in regional Victoria late last week, strict participation limits remain. 

Horsham School of Dance is among indoor sporting groups limited to 50 people indoors and with a maximum of 10 people a group. 

School principal Karen Booker said the restrictions forced her to split the school of 130 students up into smaller lessons.  

“This hasn’t been easy to organise. We have to have another teacher available as well,” she said. 

“We have a limit of 10 children per class and parents won’t be allowed into the building. 

“Hopefully we can start practising for concerts we have scheduled for later in the year.” 

The dance school is planning ballet exams in September and its annual concert at Horsham Town Hall in October. 

However, Mrs Booker said students were finding it increasingly difficult to progress their dancing skills after the second Victorian lockdown this year. 

“It will be really good for the students to get back into some dancing this week after we had a bit of a rocky start to the year,” she said.

“It’s like we have to start all over again every time we come back. 

 

“Some of the older students have coped really well, but I’ve found the younger ones have really struggled with it.” 

Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club head coach Lynette Morrow said her 200 students had also felt the impact of reduced training hours due to the disruptions. 

“The limit on numbers has meant we’ve had to juggle class times to give everyone an equal opportunity to get back in the gym,” she said.

She said the restrictions meant students had to ‘significantly’ reduce their training hours.  

“Some kids would normally train up to three times a week. Those kids will have to reduce those training days,” she said. 

“We have a policy where kids have to train for a minimum of two weeks before competition for the junior level and 28 days for senior level. 

“If they can’t get that in, competitions will continue to be put on hold due to the lockdowns.”

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Mrs Morrow said students were forced to withdraw from several competitions this month due to Melbourne restrictions.  

“We were supposed to be in Melbourne this weekend, but it’s been cancelled, and we don’t know what our competition season will look like going forward,” she said. 

“Last year, we only had one student, Remi Bailey, who competed in Melbourne.” 

Mrs Morrow said every week without training represented a major step backwards in each student’s development. 

“We’ve been in the gym far more than last year, but for the senior kids, every week they have off, they go back two,” she said.

“This is a sport where you need to repeat your training to retain those skills.”  

•  Horsham Calisthenics College students were also eager to return to face-to-face classes this week with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.