Auditorio de Tenerife Hosts Ballet Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet

This weekend, the Canary Islands’ cultural scene features a unique blend of classic drama and modern dance. The Auditorio de Tenerife is hosting Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, a production that reimagines Shakespeare’s famous play as a ballet, directed by Robert Lepage with choreography by Guillaume Côté.

Part of the Mapas 2026 framework, this production replaces spoken dialogue with physical storytelling to capture the tragedy’s emotional core. Lepage believes that dance offers a more visceral way to explore the prince’s existential struggles, while Côté—who also stars in the lead role—notes that the play’s themes of political ambition and mental turmoil remain highly relevant today.

Technically, the show focuses on minimalism and strategic lighting to define the stage. The choreography blends classical ballet with contemporary and urban styles, aiming to make the play’s complex social hierarchies more accessible to a modern audience.

The project is a collaboration between two renowned Canadian groups: Ex Machina, led by Lepage, and Côté Danse, a collective known for creating immersive performances that emphasize movement and emotional depth.

The show features a cast of nine dancers and will be performed at the Auditorio de Tenerife’s Symphony Hall. There are two opportunities to see it: tonight, Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., and tomorrow, Sunday, at 6:00 p.m. It is a rare chance to see how movement can bring a fresh, three-dimensional perspective to one of theater's most iconic stories.