The Unthanks in Winter

A winter festive evening at Union Chapel in London, built around live music and taught group dancing, presented under the name The Unthanks. The music is associated with blues, country and folk.

The Unthanks are a folk act whose music sits within blues, country and folk. This evening is presented as a winter festive special centred on traditional social dancing: a live band provides the music, and a dance caller teaches each sequence of steps. Participants first walk through a dance with the caller, then the band begins and everyone dances together. No previous experience is needed, and the organisers say the dances are open to people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and identities.

The format draws on ceilidh, country dance, barn dance and set dancing, forms that were popular as home entertainment long before television. Their roots lie in traditional forms from Europe and America, and the organisers say they welcome people from every culture to take part.

The evening takes place at Union Chapel, a chapel on Compton Terrace in London that also hosts concerts, mainly pop, rock and indie music. It suits anyone who wants to learn simple dances in a group setting during the winter season.