“When in Music We Have Spent an Hour”: Choreographer John Cranko’s Recontextualization of The Taming of the Shrew as a Ballet

Abstract

William Shakespeare’s works have always been the centre of attention in adaptation and translation studies, not only because the subject matter of his works is universal but also because there is still too much to comment upon what the three-dimensional characters go through in his oeuvre. This study primarily aims at displaying how dancing is used as a communication tool in John Cranko’s ballet adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, with music by Domenico Scarlatti and Kurt-Heinz Stolze. While discussing the unique norms and conventions of ballet, this study intends to investigate the standing point of the adaptors during the process of translating Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew into music and bodily movement. Starting with an emphasis on the musical nature of the source play, this paper traces the role of music in the “taming” scheme. In that respect, one of the primary concerns of this study is analysing Katherina’s “taming” process in John Cranko’s choreography, which is the central theme of the source play. With a close analysis of the choreography employed in the ballet adaptation, this paper aims at comparing and contrasting the gender relations that are portrayed in the source text and its ballet adaptation. © 2024, Istanbul University Press. All rights reserved.