Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod will offer a condensed schedule of dance, speech and drama, debating, music and highland dancing in line with COVID-safe rules between July 22 and August 7.

With a cap of about 100 participants in each dance age group, the 12 years and under and 15 years and under sections are already full and others close to capacity.

Most entries must be in by May 14, but highland dancing, which takes place on the competition's final day, remains open until July 28.

Administration officer Ashley Pasqualotto said Border dance studios particularly had been showing their support for the eisteddfod, which was cancelled in 2020.

"After last year there's always a worry that it might not happen," she said.

"But as we progressed into 2021 and we realised we could go ahead, with COVID restrictions of course, we were just thrilled.

"Speaking as a parent, we're just really excited to see our kids doing whatever we can this year."

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NSW guidelines and the space available at Albury Entertainment Centre has limited choirs to no more than 15 singers and removed some sections involving school orchestras, bands and rock bands.

Dancing will be held over four days, compared with 11 days in 2019, and focus on classical, modern, jazz, theatre performance style and own choice.

"We're trying not to take away from anything, because we know that dancers have all different genres that they perform in but we're just trying to keep it to what we could this year," Mrs Pasqualotto said.

Murray Youth Performing Arts director Libby Ellis recognised the challenges facing the committee, for example crowded change rooms.

"It's a very close environment so I think they've actually been quite wise in minimising things this year just to see how it goes," she said.

"We're so grateful for them for putting it on, a lot of volunteers do a lot of work so that my kids can dance."

Murray Youth Performing Arts is preparing 23 troupes ranging from five to 14 dancers for this year's eisteddfod.

The director said her dancers, aged between four and 18 years, couldn't wait to return to the stage.

"The lead-up and the excitement as you're preparing is half the fun and then just getting to dance with your friends on stage and meet all your eisteddfod friends ... I think that's fabulous," she said.

"And I think the kids really need it after last year; most people dance because they like to perform and they're really looking for performance opportunities."

More information on the eisteddfod website and Facebook page.

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