Cranko's "Taming of the Shrew": Now's our chance to see one of the Ballets everyone should see before they die

The Stuttgart Ballet is coming to England. Yay! And it is performing John Cranko's "Taming of the Shrew". Yippee! The company will be at Sadler's Wells from the 18 to the 23 Nov 2013.

It is apt that Cranko's company should perform at the Wells because that is where he learnt his art. He was one of the great choreographers of all time. Born in South Africa in 1927 he choreographer Pineapple Poll in 1951 when he was only 23.  In 1961 he was placed in charge of the Stuttgart Ballet when only 34. There he created great full length ballets such as Onegin, Carmen and, of course. Shrew. Sadly he died on the way back from New York at the early age of 45.  Think what he would have achieved had he survived.

Even after 40 years there are many reminders of Cranko in Stuttgart. Possibly the most important is the John Cranko School which was the first ballet school in Germany and now regarded as one of the best in the world.

Seeing Taming of the Shrew is on my list of things still to do before I die. Visiting Theatre Street and attending a performance at the Mariinsky is another.