"IN THE valley of Myddfai in the heart of the Black Mountains lived Rhiwalon. On his way to the little lake of Llyn-y-Fan he saw a beautiful lady sitting on the smooth surface of the water, combing her long golden hair..."

Welsh folktales, unlike the German stories of the Brothers Grimm or Charles Perrault's sanitized French fairy tales, have never found a wide audience.

But this summer one company hopes to change all that with a stunning dramatization of the story of the poor shepherd boy who wins a beautiful wife from the mysterious underwater world of the Lady of the Lake.

Independent Ballet Wales have created a new full-length ballet based on the tale of Llyn-y-Fan, mixing explosive contemporary dance with classical ballet for an unforgettable show.

The universal story of love and loss is brought to life by all-new choreography by the company's artistic director Darius James, which will be specially adapted for the size of the stage in each venue, and spectacular costumes by Welsh designer Yvonne Greenleaf.

The company has been praised by critics for pushing back the boundaries of classical ballet using timeless and accessible stories, with tone national newspaper praising their "impressively able dancers and a choreographer which makes use of every gift they have". The show, on tonight and tomorrow at the Borough Theatre, Abergavenny, will also be preceded by a short piece performed by local youngsters who have been working with the company throughout the week.

The Lady in the Lake begins at 7.30pm today and tomorrow, and tickets are £8 or £6 concessions. Box office 01873 850805.