Folk Dance Party with Live Music by the Huddled Masses Orchestra

The Huddled Masses Orchestra will perform a concert of Serbian-style brass band music in the auditorium of the Bryant E. Moore Center in Ellsworth Maine on Sunday January 14th from 1 to 4 PM. The cost is $8 per adult, kids are free, high school or college students $5. This is chem-free. There is ample parking. Families are welcome, though attendees should be cautioned that the actual dancing is probably too complicated for a child under 12. The Huddled Masses Orchestra consists of nine members who mostly play trumpet, trombone, tuba or baritone horn. In Serbia, one of the former Yugoslav republics, there is a long and fascinating tradition of brass bands. Every small town would have a brass band to play for dancing. The tunes are often in minor keys and odd rhythms, joyfully exuberant. This particular group of musicians are highly skilled and fun to listen to whether you dance or not. Most members of the audience will dance, but this is not a concert where you sit quietly and respectfully. It is a social gathering and we are trying to recreate the vibe of market day in a Serbian farm village. Serbian brass band music is associated with a particular style of dancing, in which the audience forms long lines or circles and does specific steps as a group. At this event, we will play tunes for relatively easy “village stye” dances that can be easily learned, and there will be somebody who can help you learn how to do it. It’s mildly aerobic. Since the dances are from a very traditional culture where modesty and decorum are expected, we don’t do dances that involve physical contact beyond holding the hands of the persons next to you. If you go to the Huddled Masses FaceBook page or website, you can find the link to a YouTube playlist that lists the tunes we will play, and also shows what the dance steps look like. Prior to the pandemic, there were active groups of folk dancers in Hancock County and Orono for many years. Learning about this music genre is a fun pastime, and it is time to bring it back. We chose Sunday afternoon for this event because it may be a dreary winter day in which you feel cooped up. Participants will be able to drive to and from the event with some promise of daylight remaining.