Free MoveBaby sessions expand into Redcar this September

Free baby dance sessions expand from Middlesbrough into Redcar this September

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TeesDance is restarting its free MoveBaby sessions in Middlesbrough and adding a new weekly Redcar class for babies and the adults who care for them.

By The Tees Editorial Desk · 29 August 2026

A parent and baby taking part in a MoveBaby session on floor mats Image: TeesDanceImage source

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A free dance programme for babies and their grown-ups is expanding across Teesside this September, with a new weekly session opening in Redcar alongside the return of an established Middlesbrough class.

TeesDance’s MoveBaby sessions use gentle, sensory-led movement, music, rhythm and touch. They are designed for babies from a few weeks old through to toddler age, with parents, grandparents, foster carers and childminders all welcome to take part.

The Middlesbrough sessions restart at Thorntree on Thursday 4 September, running from 1pm to 2.15pm. A new Redcar session begins on Monday 7 September at Redcar & Cleveland Best Start Family Hub on Rainbow Lane, from 10am to 11am.

Both are free and do not require advance booking.

Movement without the pressure

MoveBaby is led by professional TeesDance artists who specialise in working with very young children. Rather than following a rigid routine, sessions respond to the babies in the room. Some weeks may be calm and soothing; others more lively.

That flexibility is part of the point. TeesDance says the sessions are as much for the adults as the babies, giving carers a reason to get out of the house, meet other people and spend an hour moving together in a relaxed setting.

No dance experience is needed and families with children of different ages can attend together. TeesDance says everything required for the session is provided, with families only asked to bring the usual things they need for their baby and comfortable clothes for the adult taking part.

A new Redcar foothold

The Redcar class is the newest part of the programme and gives families in another part of the Tees Valley access to the same free already running in Middlesbrough.

MoveBaby is funded through Arts Council England’s Breaking New Ground programme. TeesDance, a registered charity, describes the sessions as exploratory rather than formal classes, with an emphasis on connection, confidence and shared movement.

The Middlesbrough session runs every Thursday from 1pm at Thorntree Family Hub. The new Redcar session runs every Monday from 10am at Redcar & Cleveland Best Start Family Hub.

Full details are available from TeesDance.