Cut A Shine

“Cut A Shine” is not a noun, rather, it is a verb: to Cut A Shine, and the origin, an old world expression meaning to dance. Back in an era before the Internet, television or even electricity, the local dance would be the primary way of engaging with the wider world and your local community. One would don one’s Sunday Best and shine up those shoes real good, only to cut the shine through rigorous dancing. And therein lies the mission of this collective of musicians, dancers and callers – to get people to Cut A Shine and dance them old dances…and dance them with each other!

The project started back in 2005 when they started hosting barn dances as warm ups to squat parties across London. As these parties grew popular, more shows were hosted in bigger venues featuring just the barn dancing bit, and the band was born

Do come and cut your shine with Cut A Shine and expect to hear authentic rippin’ old time fiddle and banjo tunes, see flat foot “buck” dancers on stage, and, most importantly, come ready to grab a partner and swing and whirl, and party like it’s 1854.