Abstract
Dance adaptations of Shakespeare occupy a strange place in contemporary culture. While a wordless medium might seem incompatible with Shakespeare’s language, dance versions of the plays nonetheless abound. In particular, ballet companies in Britain and America commemorate Shakespeare through anniversary festivals. This chapter will look at two commemorative programmes at two distinctive companies: the 1964 Royal Ballet programme that marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 2016 triple bill marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. In examining and comparing these performances, the chapter explores the tensions which have emerged over how to remember and celebrate Shakespeare across different artistic modes of expression.
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Klett, E. (2021). Commemorating Shakespeare Through Dance and Music, 1964–2016. In: King, E.G.C., Smialkowska, M. (eds) Memorialising Shakespeare. Palgrave Shakespeare Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84013-6_9
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