A weekly Stockton dance class is returning in September with a fairly simple proposition: you do not need to be a dancer, super-fit or especially coordinated to join in.
Move It and Shake It takes place at ARC Stockton Arts Centre on Tuesdays at 10.15am. The adult sessions cost £5 and can be joined in person or online.
ARC describes the class as a gentle, enjoyable form of dance-based exercise designed for people of all fitness levels. Sessions use easy-to-follow movements to work the whole body, with paid to balance, coordination, posture, toning and stretching.
The September dates currently listed are 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 September.
The sessions are led by local dance artist Teissy Easton, who runs ID4Me in Hardwick. Her work includes street dance, commercial, hip hop and Afro beats, and ARC says routines can be adapted around different abilities, needs and access requirements.
That beginner-friendly approach is an important part of the class. ARC says absolute beginners are welcome alongside people with more dance experience, and a free companion ticket is available where a disabled participant needs someone to accompany them.
The class has developed its own regular community at ARC. When the price increased from £4 to £5 earlier this year, the charity said the change was intended to help keep the workshops running amid rising costs after holding the previous price since 2022.
Move It and Shake It returns on Tuesday 1 September at 10.15am at ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees. Full details and booking are available from ARC Stockton Arts Centre.