Germany’s Hanover State Opera has suspended ballet director and choreographer Marco Goecke with immediate effect after Goecke assaulted a dance critic in the theatre’s foyer, smearing her face with dog excrement.

The critic, Wiebke Hüster, a writer for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, was attending the premiere of the ballet Glaube-Liebe-Hoffnung (Faith-Love-Hope). The obviously premeditated assault took place during an interval in the performance and was apparently inspired by Hüster’s negative review of Goecke’s recent Nederlands Dance Theater production In the Dutch Mountains.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that Goecke, “pulled out a paper bag with animal faeces and mauled the face of our dance critic with the contents. After that, he was able to go his own way unhindered through the crowded foyer.”

Marco Goeke

In a statement on its website, the Hanover State Opera wrote that it has suspended Goecke and banned him from the premises until further notice.”

“We are appalled by what has happened and very much regret that the escalation has occurred. Immediately after the incident, we contacted the journalist and apologised to her personally.”

“With his impulsive reaction to the journalist, Marco Goecke violated all the rules of conduct of the Hanover State Opera...