Touch Me Not (Drewry)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
TOUCH ME NOT (J4x32) 4C set John Drewry Autumn Collection 861- 8 1M+2M+3M dance to partner, about turn and dance back to place, 1M+2L also 2M+3L also 3M+4L turn RH
9-16 1L+2L+3L dance to partner, about turn to join RH with 2M/3M/4M, turn under Man's right arm and dance back to place
17-24 1s+2s change places on sides (Ladies RH and Men LH), 1s followed by 2s cast 2 places, 2 dance back up to top while 1s dance up middle to 2nd place
25-32 1L dances RH across with 2L+3L as 1M dances LH across with 2M+3M, 1L LH across with 3L+4L as 1M RH across with 3M+4M and 1s end 4th place
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Information
Also see the dance Touch Me Not (Williams) by Melodie Williams.The expression 'Touch Me Not' comes from the Latin *Noli me tangere*, meaning 'Do not touch me' or 'Touch me not'.
In this dance of the same name, the meaning is reflected literally as no hands are taken at any stage.
This Latin phrase is found in the Vulgate Bible, where it is spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection. According to the Gospel of John (chapter 20, verse 17), he tells her not to hold on to him, as he has not yet ascended to the Father.
Over time, the phrase has been used in a variety of settings—religious, literary, botanical, and cultural. In literature or conversation, it is sometimes used to describe someone distant, reserved, or emotionally closed off.
In botany, 'Touch-me-not' refers to certain species in the Impatiens genus. These plants have seed pods that burst open when lightly touched, flinging seeds several metres away. This mechanism, called explosive dehiscence, is the basis for both the scientific name 'Impatiens' (Latin for 'impatient') and the common name.
The phrase has also appeared in artworks and titles, often linked with ideas of sacredness, personal space, or the need to keep a distance.
Impatiens Scapiflora
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Text from this original Impatiens article on Wikipedia.
Text from this original Noli_me_tangere article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright (cropped) Cj.samson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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