Moving Shakespeare: La danse narrative and adapting to the Bard

Abstract

This article considers the expectations of narrative that frequently surround Shakespearean dance adaptation. Reviewing responses to two contemporary productions ( Le Songe by Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and Golden Hours (As You Like It) by the Rosas company), discussion pays particular attention to critical and audience appetites when attending to performances of Shakespeare on the dance stage. Highlighting contemporary debates in dance studies, the discussion draws to a close examining the challenges of transposing (often well-known) Shakespearean texts into bodily gesture and movement.