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A little thing like lockdown has not prevented Red Beach ballet teacher Lea Sandford from taking classes in her Lea Sandford School of Dancing.
Lea began teaching dance 52 years ago, when she was just 15 years old, and has been taking classes in Red Beach for the past 16 years.
Her school offers classes in ballet, contemporary and lyrical dance. As well as entering competitions, her students perform at local retirement villages and Hibiscus Hospice. They also present an annual show at Whangaparaoa College’s auditorium.
Immediately after the lockdown commenced Lea, with the IT assistance of her husband Calvin, began to produce the lessons from home using the Zoom Meeting software/app, and made them available online.
Lea says there were initially a few technical hitches, but around 60 percent of the dance school’s students, aged from three years old to adults, are now doing the classes from home.
“Calvin is doing well, despite being subjected to sitting through every lesson,” Lea says.
The online classes started on March 26 and will run each weekday in the afternoons at the same scheduled time as the regular classes until students are able to return to the studio at Red Beach Methodist Church hall.
Anyone wanting to join the online classes can contact Lea, email balletdanceteacher@gmail.com, visit www.lssod.co.nz or via the Lea Sandford School of Dancing facebook page.
