Second line
The dancing crowd that follows a New Orleans brass band parade.
Also: jazz funeral
The second line is the group of dancers and walkers who follow the main line of a brass band and club members in a New Orleans parade, waving handkerchiefs and parasols, and dancing in the street. It grew from the jazz funeral, in which a band plays a slow dirge on the way to the cemetery and then breaks into lively tunes on the return, celebrating a life. Social aid and pleasure clubs hold second line parades on Sunday afternoons through the season, wearing matching suits and carrying decorated fans. The beat and the dance steps give the city's music its character. Visitors are welcome to join in and follow.
Region: North America