The Pangolin

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-8 1C and 2C dance an all round poussette.
9-12 1C and 2C set and link.
13-16 1C and 2C circle slightly more than once round to the left, finishing in a line of 4 up and down the set facing partner, the men facing down and the ladies up.
17-24 1C and 2C dance a reel of 4 up and down finishing as at the end of bar 16.
25-26 1C and 2C set to partners.
27-28 1C and 2C petronella to own sides.
29-32 1C and 2C circle once round to the left.
33-40 Reels of 3 on the side, first couple giving right shoulder to 2nd couple to begin.
41-48 1C and 3C dance La Spirale.

A new couple begins.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)

Dance Notes

1-2 First and second couple dance ¾ of a two hand turn to finish in a line of 4 up and down, first man back to back with second lady.
3-4 First man and second lady cast around each other (pulling back RS) to finish first man in second man's place and second lady in first lady's place, while first lady dances clockwise around the outside of the set to second lady's place and similarly second man to first man's place.
5-8 1C and 2C turn partners with 2 hands.
In quick time, bars 1 and 2 should be danced in pas de Basque, and 5-8 using the right hand.

Teaching Notes When teaching La Spirale, it is important that the casting couples remain with a tight cast and do not cast by going forward first. Else the covering will be lost.

When teaching this formation, it is often helpful if the first lady retains right hand with first man's left momentarily at the beginning of bar 3, and similarly second man's right with second lady's left.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Rod Downey)

Dance Information

Recommended music is the Sidlaw Hills (James Watson), played ABABAB, and a suitable recording is "Set of Tunes Suitable for Moray Rant" by the Sound Company.

A suitable alternative tune would be "Partans in his Creel" by Allie Windwick and a suitable recording is to be found in "Strictly Scottish Vol. 1, by Robert Whitehead and the Danelaw Band.

(Dance information from The Johnsonville Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

Native to parts of Africa and Asia, pangolins are primarily nocturnal and possess a long, prehensile tail. These creatures are solitary and predominantly insectivorous, relying on ants and termites as their main diet. The scales, which make up about 20% of their body weight, act as a defense mechanism against predators. Pangolins are known for their unique ability to roll into a ball when threatened, using their scales as a form of armor.

Despite their adaptation for self-defense, pangolins face significant threats due to illegal wildlife trade, driven by the demand for their scales in traditional medicine and their meat as a delicacy. As a result, all eight species of pangolins are currently listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, with populations declining rapidly.

Conservation efforts are underway to address the challenges facing pangolins and mitigate the impact of illegal trade on their survival.

A Pangolin Pup Nudges Its Mother, Rolled Up In A Protective Ball, Forests Of Palawan, Philippines

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