"The Old Dance School are a youthful, vibrant and dynamic six-piece band who offer an absorbing and imaginative take on traditional music, whilst also borrowing from various European traditions for their own accomplished compositions. On the face of it, their instrumental complement may read like many other folk bands: Helen Lancaster and Samantha Norman both contribute violin, there are whistles and recorders from Laura Carter and Sarah Jeffery, Robin Beatty plays guitar and provides lead vocals on a number of tracks, and Aaron Diaz plays bass. Contributing greatly to their uniqueness is the band's secret weapon, percussionist, Tom Chapman, who hammers out some funky, enthralling rhythms on cajón and frame drum, lending an undeniably energetic appeal. Helen Lancaster also plays viola, adding depth and class, alongside occasional flugel horn from Aaron Diaz.

The tunes thunder along right from the get-go, with the opening set "Cooking Pickles" comprising two traditional tunes (Jenny Picking Cockles and Congress), and the following set "Cacodemon" comprising two more traditional tunes (Miss Monaghan's and Souter Creek) alongside a Karen Tweed composition after which the set is named. A solid bass lays down a formidable foundation, alongside which Tom Chapman plays some innovative percussion, lending a contemporary nuance. Above this fearless rhythm section weave the strings and whistles in a mesmerising flurry, though the strings are also often deployed in the background to give a more sedate, orchestral leaning -- particularly on the later tracks when the flugel horn joins in. There is overwhelming beauty to be heard in abundance on Helen Lancaster's "Rosemann Bridge," played with utmost composure, and revealing a band who really know how to pare back the sound, whilst maintaining momentum and ensuring the listener remains enthralled.

Robin Beatty has an interesting voice, singing with a very natural and stirring style, avoiding any pretentiousness. His is a voice that you can warm to readily, that imparts a story to the listener with the same ease that one would find in conversation with an old friend. Beatty's adroitness is also forthcoming in his song writing, in particular on "The Silver Pin," a song that borrows heavily from the folk idiom and is as good as any contemporary folk song you will hear elsewhere. Beatty also gives a thoughtful reading of Owen Hand's "My Donald," with a pensiveness that delivers a genuine strength of emotion.

Joe Broughton has done a great job here, producing the album, capturing a sound that is more stage or session, then it is studio. If you're planning a festival any time soon, then do yourself a favour and secure the services of The Old Dance School immediately -- they're guaranteed to get feet tapping, and bodies dancing, and Robin Beatty's voice might even melt a few hearts along the way!" – Folking.com, January 2009

"Debut album by young six piece group who grew out of Joe Broughton's Conservatoire Folk Ensemble. You would expect any musician who'd been involved in anything with 'conservatoire' in the title to be a sharp cookie, and the band members bio's on their site are very impressive. Broughton's Ensemble brings a huge number of musicians and musical styles together in one big melting pot, The Old Dance School are a distillation of this vibrant brew. In fact Broughton is the producer of this album.

Despite the musicians all being from England and under 25 years of age, I couldn't shake the feeling that this album is an undiscovered celtic classic from decades ago, it has that excitement of early Altan and Clannad, arrangements that seem so ancient yet startlingly fresh at the same time. Perhaps it's the range of influences brought to the mix and the persuasively modern yet mature interpretation of trad tunes.

The first two tracks rip along on the delicious interplay between whistles and violin, music that conjures wide open landscapes with sweet Atlantic rain casting rainbows over the rugged seashore. The Silver Pin has the incredibly mature voice of Robin Beatty singing, and his voice is wonderful, he can conjure boyish mirth or the deep melancholy inherent in the song My Donald, a tale of Scottish whalers in the harsh seas.

Based On A True Story is a wonderfully exciting and uplifting album, it constantly takes you in unexpected directions, the fact that they manage to do this without being flashy or contrived in any way bodes very well for their future career. Debut albums as good as this are rare beasts indeed, I don't think they will have any problems living up to its promise." – Iain Hazelwood, Spiral Earth, October 2008

"The Old Dance School are a six piece folk band whose talents come from across England with a fertile genre-crossing collective talent. The sound they produce is both unique, fresh, original and uplifting. What is more remarkable is that they are all under 25 years of age!

So what makes them work? Is it their experience of classical and jazz which is fused with traditional folk re-arrangements? For me, they are embracing their experiences of here and now with a respect for the tradition and this comes across in their arrangements which gives them a remarkably fresh and exciting sound.

What started as an informal gathering in Birmingham at the Old Betty Fox School of Ballet, from which they take their name, soon turned into a full blow giging outfit. They have already dipped their feet into the Folk circuit and I expect them soon to be a mainstay act in very high demand. They have the gift of a great collective musical talent, a great ambition and are a great bunch of folks who know how to enjoy their perfomance which comes across in their music.

Members of The Old Dance School have performed, toured and recorded with artists such as The Chris While Band, Darren Black, Jim Perrin, Kevin Dempsey, The Violent Femmes, The Destroyers, While & Matthews, Martha Tilston and Neil Yates. The band are currently preparing for a busy summer of gigs and festivals and a tour with their good friends, BBC Young Folk Awards finalists Jack McNeill and Charlie Heys." – Folk Radio UK, October 2008

"Now then, this is lively, and proves that time spent with ex-albion professor Joe Broughton is time well spent. The Old Dance School are products of the conservatoire folk ensemble, the unit Mr Broughton leads in his acedemic capascity. Here he also oversee productions, his students have given him plenty to work with. The arrangments are full of hints and sign-posts to his style, for instance the swooping runs, the sudden stop-starts in the fiddle lines.

The band themselves are 6 strong - three lasses, three lads - who pick freely from british folk sources to compile the tracks: Songs from Scotland, jigs from Ireland, inspiration in legend and story from Wales and England. Whilst they claim a percentage of influence in world music, apart from the percussion it's brit-trad that cheifly comes across, the thudding bass, driving the tunes that have the most impact. Mostly the work of fiddlers Helen Lancaster and Samantha Norman, in particular Rosemann Bridge, a slow air of distinction has a tenderness at its core, whilst as you might expect the dances leap about with the lithe vigour of a whirling dervish.

Catch them on the road, next spring in their own right, or as part of a package with McNeill and Heys. Bet the after-show jamming will be something to be heard." – fRoots Magazine, December 2008