Dancing around the kitchen might be a momentary burst of fun for some, but for Shepparton's Abbigail Makin it's serious business.
Three nights a week, the 18-year-old Greater Shepparton Secondary College student pushes her family's kitchen table and chairs to the wall to turn the tiny space into a dance studio where she follows her VCE classes online.
“It's been hard but good in a way, because I don't have to travel to Melbourne,” Abbigail said.
For the past five years she and other Shepparton dance students have been given access to the professional skills of The Australian Ballet through a unique tuition program forged by GSSC dance teacher Kyla McGregor.
Since COVID-19 restrictions shut down face-to-face lessons in Melbourne, classes have moved online.
Today, Abbigail and her younger sister Breanna will take part in a special online class with other GSSC dance students who will watch guest appearances from The Australian Ballet's principal dancers Amber Scott and Adam Bull.
Abbigail, who has been dancing since she was 10 years old, said the chance to learn from professional dancers was inspirational.
“I learn a lot of new choreographic techniques - and I do like to be pushed,” she said.
She said while remote learning could never be as good as meeting in person, and while her kitchen was not the the perfect space - she has learned to make the best of the situation.
“We work with what I have at home,” she said.
Abbigail is also due to audition online to study dance at the Victorian College of the Arts next year.