The Florentine Camerata was a group of musicians and 'literati' of the late sixteenth century who gathered to discuss the changing musical practices of the day, and saw the development of Baroque monodic vocal style and the first opera, Euridice.

The Camerata would engage in fierce debates about dissonance and counterpoint, and helped usher in a new era that strived to capture the emotion of the text in the music. During this period, music that included brass instruments was widely performed. Impressions of the Florentine Camerata, brass music, and Baroque ornamentation and dissonance were the inspiration for this piece: a madrigal, a recitative, and a quirky tango.

Dancing at the Camerata was commissioned by Father Arthur Bridge for the Australian Youth Orchestra, and first performed on 23 October, 2003, by the AYO Brass Quintet, Sydney, Australia.

Instrumentation: 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba