Video technology enabling dance lessons in Blackall

Since early March, 25 of the community's youngsters have been learning various dance techniques via Zoom tutorials beamed from Longreach School of Dance instructors.

Stephanie Burgess is the Blackall-based facilitator employed with funds from Red Ridge who sets up for the classes and helps with technique.

Fiona Ludgate, the mother of three aspiring ballerinas, said it had been a very exciting addition to life in town.

"It offers them the same level of dance as their city counterparts can access," she said.

"We've been told they can go to eisteddfods and take exams as part of it.

"It's not very difficult to learn with, in fact it's the next best thing to having the person there in real life."

Weekly classes are offered in ballet, jazz, hip hop and musical theatre in what's called the Dancing in the Dust outreach program, with occasional face-to-face opportunities planned.

The Blackall public got their first look at the program at the annual show last Saturday, when the different age groups performed.

"My girls just loved performing at the show," Ms Ludgate said. "They loved being able to wear the costumes and put their hair up, and put some lipstick on."

Their next outing will be a two-day workshop in Longreach next week, along with a performance at the Longreach show, followed by Red Ridge's Dress the Central West recycled fashion parade at the end of May.

Lessons are planned for the rest of the year, aligning with school holidays, but Ms Ludgate hoped funding would be ongoing beyond that.

"It's so important that our kids aren't disadvantaged by distance or isolation," she said.