We Play The Hora
A common question for any wedding band is “Can you play the Hora (Horah, Hora dance, etc.)?” And to that we say l’chaim! This is one of our favourite wedding traditions and there’s no better way to kick off a party!
This couple took The Hora to the next level!
What Songs Are Included In The Hora?
Side One prides itself on our horas and in fact, we boast quite a few Jewish members on our teams! Unlike many wedding bands whose experience with playing the hora stops at the YMCA of horas, Hava Nagila (and hey, there’s nothing wrong with a classic), Side One likes to dig a bit deeper into the richer material like Ose Shalom, Mashiac, Havenu Shalom Alecheim, Od Yishama, and of course Siman Tov, Mazel Tov among others. There’s also the tradition of the last child to be married off when we’ll play the traditional Mezinka dance that is saved for that special occasion.
When Should You Play The Hora?
Another question is WHEN to play the Hora during the reception. There are two approaches we can take depending on preference and budget.
Approach #1: Before Dinner
With a dance band booking, you get the band for 4 hours and within that, we will play 3 hours of music beginning after dinner when people are ready to party. It’s common to do the hora before dinner, after the wedding party’s grand entrance. For this preference, we suggest the Early Hora add-on and you can reach out to our sales team for pricing.
Approach #2: Kick Off The Dance Floor
For the after-dinner option, we suggest starting with the first dance, then the parent dances, and then inviting everyone onto the dance floor for the hora. As mentioned, this is a great way to really kick off the party and it’s included with a dance band booking at no extra cost.
We Want To Dance The Hora! How Big A Band Should We Get?
For the size of the band, having horns is always nice (8-piece and above), but the hora can be done with any sized band. Our keyboardist usually adds a little accordion or clarinet for a classic klezmer sound. Our female and male singers trade off singing duties throughout the hora, but please let us know if your event will be more orthodox and we can certainly adjust.
How Long Is The Hora?
A hora can last for as little as 5-10 mins and as long as 30-40 mins. We tend to play it by ear and watch the crowd — which we LOVE, by the way. The Hora Dance literally translates to “chair dance” and often the bride & groom plus their parents are hoisted up on chairs and carried by the crowd. We’ve also seen crowd surfing (literal surfboards brought in) and dance circles with leapfrogging, whirling, and the classic Russian squat dances! There’s also a misconception that the hora always starts slow and gets faster and while songs like the Mezinka and Hava Nagila have a rich tradition of this, often the horas that we play go from fast to faster hahaha.
So yes! Side One can play the hora at your wedding reception. We draw from a rich collection of traditional material, integrate seamlessly with your timeline, and let the crowd guide the length and energy of the performance.
If you’d like more information about the hora and our other wedding and event services, contact us today!