Originally published Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 12:00 AM

Stars, stripes and seated forever

Following in the footsteps of the great bandmaster John Philip Sousa, the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band hardly ever marches, playing concerts...

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ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Self-taught baton twirler Edith Farrar is more shtick than trick as she does her routine, seated of course, with the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, "the finest non-marching Sousa band in all of Ballard."

ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The audience is turned into a seated drill team during a performance for the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

Photo gallery | The Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band

Following in the footsteps of the great bandmaster John Philip Sousa, the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band hardly ever marches, playing concerts firmly seated in its chairs.

Founded by band director Liz Dreisbach 22 years ago, it plays "music that is fun and fun for everyone from the golden age of band music, 1880-1940."

Billed as "the finest non-marching Sousa band in all of Ballard," it also features the world's only sedentary majorette, Edith Farrar, who takes her place on a folding chair at the front of the 40-or-so-member band.

The band says she "has literally caused audience members to leap to their feet while admiring (and avoiding) her fabulous twirling trickery."

The band's next event is today at 2 p.m. at the Broadview Library grand opening. It's free, as always.

And as the band says, "Ya Sousa, you betcha."

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