The swan dance

The swan dance
The swan embodies internal light, the manifestation of the spirit over reason. Its flight is compared to the return of the spirit to its source, and the swan represents the part of man that tends towards good, perfection, and spirituality. With this pure spirit, a newlywed couple starts its journey…just as pure chocolate takes shape.

Above a stretch of water a couple of swans with thick, white plumage majestically rise as if to take off, in a soft, loving embrace as if they were dancing.

They are positioned on two spheres and were made using half egg shells shaped by hand, the same for the necks and beak.
The stretch of water is made with a mix of cocoa butter and cocoa melted together and modelled with a pastry bag.
The effect of the plumage on the wings is made with the airbrush, spraying different shades of colour.
The feathers are made with strips of acetate first covered with white chocolate and then covered with dark chocolate and placed in traction on a curve to give them a rounded shape.
The flower, a decorative element that separates and creates a point of light, is a classic water lily made by attaching petals to a round bud.
Relatively simple techniques – use of acetate, cardboard, pans – make this piece accessible to all chocolate enthusiasts because it does not require the use of moulds or specific materials, and can be personalized as desired to make a unique work of art.

1. Create the support base using pans of various sizes with round bottom.
Pour the dark chocolate to fill the base 3-4 cm.
Place the pieces one on top of the other, from largest to smallest.

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2. Use round foam rubber to create the stretch of water.
Model the foam rubber by wrapping it with film.
Use the cutter to mix the cocoa butter and cocoa, then heat it to 32°C.
Pour the mixture over the foam rubber.

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3. Use the pastry bag to create the side drops.
Paint the base and drops white using the airbrush, and then blend in sky blue, giving the tip a more intense colour.

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4. Use an acetate mould to form four half spheres and then join them to make two complete spheres that, after having been airbrushed white and sky blue, will be placed on the water base.
It is best to use two spheres of different sizes.

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5. With the help of a polycarbonate mould, shape four half egg shells.
Assemble the two halves and model them by hand using a bit of chocolate blended in the cutter, to give an elongated shape to the areas where the neck and tail attach.
Spray with white and blue making sure to give a darker shading to the body base, where it will be placed on the spheres.

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6. With the help of two silicone rods, or with a rubber hose cut lengthwise, pour the chocolate to form a long, slightly curved beam. Then, using chocolate processed in the cutter, handshape and round the swan’s neck which will then be attached to the body.
At the end of the neck form a space to colour the eye.
Spray the neck with white and blue.

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7. Shape a bit of chocolate to make the beak. Colour it orange with the airbrush and attach it to the end of the neck.

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8. Use a chablon to shape the wings’ edges and then pour chocolate inside.

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9. For the flower structure use three combined half spheres.

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10. Use a chablon in traction and placed on a curved surface to make the petals.
Colour all the petals orange and attach them to the bud.
Attach the flower to the work.

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11. Using acetate cut into feather shapes, first pour a thin layer of white chocolate and then a thin layer of dark chocolate.
Allow the covered acetate to set on a curved surface.

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12. Cut acetate into leaf shapes and then heat them with a hairdryer so they deform a little bit.
Paint them green and yellow.
Pour a layer of chocolate on the leaves and, when they are dry, peel the chocolate from the acetate.

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13. Peel the feathers off the acetate and use the airbrush to colour them white, shading the tips blue.

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14. For the wings, after having coloured them white, use the airbrush to shade them with various tones, using cut acetate sheets to help.

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15. It is important to construct two bases in which to insert all the tail feathers before attaching them to the swan.
Use the spatula to pour chocolate on the table.
When it has hardened, cut the shape with a knife.
Being so delicate, the feathers should be attached to the piece at the end, together with the leaves of the flower.

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> For chocolate’s ideas: Tokyo – Dessert in the city ; Three chocolates ; Kaiser Knam

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