The Swan of Salen

The Swan of Salen is a 45 minute multimedia adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet, created by The Willow Trio in collaboration with Ballet Folk, Olive and Thistle and Mary Ann Kennedy. Set to the Gaelic folk tale, the performance features a unique blend of Tchaikovsky’s iconic music and traditional melodies played live on three clàrsachs alongside a brand-new choreography by Deborah Norris of Ballet Folk projected behind the musicians.

The Swan of Salen came together due to a shared passion for bringing classical art forms to rural and disadvantaged communities, those that would not always have access to ballet and live music, as well as placing Gaelic culture on an equal platform. By fusing the classical version of these art forms with those that are rooted in Scottish Tradition, we are excited to share this incredible, heart breaking story with audiences across Scotland. We hope our mix of ballet and folk will remove some of the cultural and personal barriers that may stand in the way of people pursuing or simply enjoying performances of ballet and folk music alike.

Playing a huge role in the decline of Gaelic culture (and minority cultures in general) is the feeling of one’s culture being somehow ‘lesser’. By presenting ballet and Gaelic culture as equal, we seek to remove some of the barriers Gaelic artists may have about the value of their skill and culture to both traditional and classical music, dance and storytelling. This is a modern and unique retelling of the Swan Lake story from the Gaelic parallel tale, The Swan of Salen. It is a folk ballet that explores the relationship between classical and traditional art forms – both music and dance. It utilises the clàrsachs by using them as a full orchestra and showcases the virtuosic playing of three of Scotland’s rising clàrsach stars.