The dance “Will you go to the barracks, Johnny?” ( Wilt thou go to the Barracks, Johnny? ) Is a prime example of how Highland dances were used to recruit soldiers into the Scottish army. The military, making trips to various remote cities and settlements to gather new recruits, arranged small entertainments with a drink, musicians and specially hired dancers. Dance was used as a way to attract people to the recruiting station.
Current status
The dance “Will you go to the barracks, Johnny?” As well as the dance “A guy from the Scottish mountains ” was invented against the background of the general rise of dance culture in Scotland and belongs to the group of national dances. Dance is used in competitions and events, such as the Highland Games . To perform this dance, they wear traditional Scottish clothing, a kilt, regardless of the gender of the dancer. In competitions, the following versions of dance performance are used:
- 4 steps - 64 steps + introduction;
- 6 steps - 96 cycles + introduction;
The order of steps, as well as other dance performance requirements, are published on the SOBHD website a year before the start of the competition [1] .
Musical accompaniment
Dancers perform a dance to a traditional Scottish bagpipe. Musicians use the tune “The Barren rocks of Aden”, which is a 2/4 march . The pace of the game is 52 beats per minute [2] .
Notes
- ↑ Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing
- ↑ Ross, William, Ross's Collection Pipe Music, London, 1885.