The Taming of the Shrew by Jean-Christophe Maillot, music by Shostakovich
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Cast
Jean-Christophe Maillot — Choreographer, director
Bernice Coppieters — Assistant choreographer
Ernest Pignon-Ernest — Scenography
Dominique Drillot — Lighting designer
Augustin Maillot — Costume designer
Adam Reist — Grumio
Christian Tworzyanski — Baptista
Simone Tribuna — Hortensio
Program notes
A choreographic adaptation inspired by William Shakespeare’s comedy, The Taming of the Shrew unfolds with humor, energy, and insight. Discover the story of Katharina, a strong willed-woman, and Petruchio, the knight who ventures to conquer her independence and affection. Set to an inventive score drawn from the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, the ballet explores the clashes between the protagonists and their suitors, set against a backdrop where social conventions and power struggles collide with the force of human passions.
In this production choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot, created in 2014 for the Bolshoi and revived by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the narrative draws on both Shakespeare’s irony and gravitas while emphasizing the search for oneself and true love. Through striking set design and a choreographic language that blends classical virtuosity with modern expression, the ballet offers a reading of the romantic myth that is at once funny, sensual, and profoundly human.
