Tam Lin Dance Project
This page contains a proposal for a Celtic dance project based on The Ballad of Tam Lin, for An Claidheamh Soluis/The Celtic Arts Center, a small non-profit,
501[c]3 corporation dedicated to promoting Celtic Arts & Language, award-winning theater, fabulous concerts, and home of the longest-running traditional music session in Southern California.
This is the forest. There would be some trees and stones
for fairies to hide behind and people to dance around.
The hole stone in front left is Puck's perch,
from which s/he plays music for the fairies
and twiglings to dance to.
- Fairies dance in the forest. Music haunting, light. Pooka, curled up in a Hole Stone, plays the music for the dance. Fairies will wear pretty, flowing clothing - flowery or leafy. And wings, embellished with glittery celtic knotwork. The Fairy Queen's dress will be much more regal. A Hole Stone is a standing stone - usually a short broad one, with a hole in it. Some of the holes are quite small and some are large enough for a Fairy or Pooka. Handfasting couples would often join hands through the hole, and passing through it was believed to heal.
- Tam Lin, a boy and the son of a laird, enters, lost and perhaps drawn by the music. He wears a kilt - but less involved - and a Tam of course. The Fairies hide - fade into the Forest. The Pooka comes out of the Hole Stone where s/he is perched, becomes a little threatening toward Tam Lin - or teasing. Pooka, like Pan, or Puck, resembles a goat (occasionally also a horse or rabbit, but the name comes from 'puc' for goat). Wild hair entwined with leaves and snails, possibly fetlocks, raggedy clothing made to resemble fur. Puck is a classic trickster.
- Tam Lin tries to escape but at each attempt his exit is blocked by an Elemental. The Elementals, or Twiglings, are similar to the Pooka but wear eerie masks, leafy, twig, or bark-like costumes, wild hair, and carry a rough stick - and wear rattles too. Very eerie music, threatening. But they only appear in the wings at this point. One (which I envision as being draped with holly and berries) grabs his tam, tears it, and throws it down, stained with red berry juice.
- When Tam Lin is stymied and terrified, he puts his hands over his face and an instrument wails like a child. The Fairy Queen enters, with a dramatic gesture. The Twiglings and Puck bow low and the Twiglings retreat to their hiding places. The Queen dances solo -a soft shoe, designed to charm the boy. She wins him over and then signals for him to dance. He does a Highland dance, while she admires him. When he is done, she takes him by the hand and leads him offstage, stopping to attach his Collar. Puck follows.
- Once the stage is empty, shouts are heard offstage and Tam Lin's clan (Scottish Country Dancers) enter, searching for the child.
The Twiglings trick them, mislead them, frighten them. Finally, one of them finds the tam and another instrument simulates an adult's wail. There could be a solo by one of his clan - a sword dance, perhaps. A Piper enters and plays a dirge. The clan dances slowly offstage, mourning.
- The Twiglings emerge laughing and do a triumphant Morris Dance with their sticks.
Tam Lin's collar is a badge of his captivity.
I first envisioned the collar as leather, with metal embellishments. It could also be some kind of sheer felt, with entangled leaves - or something more recognizable as a collar - heavy looking and metallic.
- TAM GROWS UP - I have no idea how this will be handled, but it will help if as an adult he is wearing some scraps of his Clan's woodsy, hunting tartan. He becomes a Watcher of the Forest and a seducer of women who venture into it. But he is not free - he still wears the Collar.
Janet's castle room is stately, but cold.
Here, she spins by the window and dreams.
- Janet, in her Castle room, is bored. Her sister goes out to the forest and is accosted by Tam Lin, who tries to kiss her. She takes off her cloak, gives it to him, and runs home, terrified, to warn Janet. She then runs out of the room, leaving Janet alone - but Janet is more adventurous - she can't wait to meet him.
- She runs out to the Forest and tries to pluck a rose. Tam is watching of course, and she may know it, since that is why she came. He surprises her and a little cat and mouse game ensues. Ending of course in a LOVE duet. She tries to remove the Collar, but it won't come off. At that point, the Fairies and the Elementals come to take him back - aggressively. The Queen too. He doesn't want to go - perhaps tries to rip away the Collar - but is torn away from Janet, who is alone in the Forest and very sad.
- Janet's sister comes to the forest to find her, and frightened, to urge her to leave. Janet doesn't want to leave but she finally, reluctantly, does.
The Castle is on the edge of the forest - Tam Lin's is on some other edge. . . . . .
- Samhain Procession. In the night, the Fairies come out, weaving in and out of the trees. It begins mysteriously and then becomes a celebration. They might proceed from one side of the stage to the other, or proceed from the Passage on the right. Janet hides in the Hole Stone (or behind it) waiting till she sees Tam, who enters with the Queen, unable to break his bonds and subservient to her.
- Janet runs to him and holds him tightly (or something - I leave it up to the choreographer of course) In the ballad he changes into many frightening shapes, but other frightening things could be created via lights, silhouettes, music, dancing. After some time of this, a climax is reached and the dawn breaks suddenly. The Fairies and Elementals back away - even the Queen reluctantly (and angrily) retreats after dancing furiously in hard shoes, and Janet has won. At some point the Collar comes off. Queen mourns.
Janet's dress would be a variation
on the dress here
- but shorter for dancing.
I had originally visualized
red for Janet's dress, but a re-reading of at least 11
versions of the Childe Ballad, Tam Lin, made the case
irrefutable. Tam Lin might be Tam-a-lyn or Tom Line
- even Lord Randall, and Janet's name might be Jennet,
or Margaret, or Marget or Katherine, for that matter.
. . . . . . . . . . But her "kirtle" was always green!
-
Tam and Janet enter a darkened stage from opposite ends, wearing white, hooded cloaks and each carrying a white candle. They will have to ditch the candles somehow. Anyway, the drop the cloaks and do a love duet, until their clans enter for the finale.
- FINALE: Wedding/Ceili scene, both Clans. The wedding dance could be a variation on a stately strath spey (or not) and the ceili after that could be a more interesting variation on the Gay Gordon - which is quite hilarious and festive. The Pooka and perhaps the fairies and elementals - oddly unnoticed - might be at the party, dancing among the guests and maybe even mocking them. And they all live happily ever after - except the Fairy Queen, who is mad as a wet hen.
To read some or all of the versions of this Scottish Ballad,
CLICK HERE.
This site is the work and concept of adrien rain burke.
To see adrien's online art portfolio,
CLICK HERE
More costumes and set concepts will be added,
and if anyone has ideas about this project, please share them.
EMAIL ME!
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