tutu Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 (edited) Marco Goecke has been suspended from the directorship of Hannover Ballet after smearing dog poop in a critic’s face after a bad review. I wish this were a joke. Edited February 15, 2023 by tutu Link to comment
Juliet Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 (edited) This guy takes himself way too seriously. Textbook narcissist. Edited February 17, 2023 by Juliet Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 Bringing a bag of dog poo into a theater foyer doesn't exactly sound like an "impulsive" action. Did he happen to see the critic entering the theater as he was walking his dog and decide, "alright, I'll show her!"? (Can we cancel his twitchy ballets while we're at it? ) Link to comment
tutu Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 1 hour ago, volcanohunter said: Bringing a bag of dog poo into a theater foyer doesn't exactly sound like an "impulsive" action. Did he happen to see the critic entering the theater as he was walking his dog and decide, "alright, I'll show her!"? That’s what I can’t figure out — how did the dog poo end up in the theater foyer? Was he carrying it around all day thinking he might run into the critic? Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 I'm assuming it was an act of premeditated hooliganism. A new production was premiering that night, so Goecke had good reason to believe that the FAZ critic would be there. Link to comment
Fosca Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 He had been walking his dog in the intermission and brought the bag with him to throw it away, as you have to do in Germany. Another of her stinging reviews about his pieces had appeared on the very same day, she was at a premiere at NDT two days before. Just for clarification. Link to comment
abatt Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 He should be fired, not just suspended. He should also be charged with any applicable misdemeanors might apply. Link to comment
Mashinka Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 In Britain he would be arrested for assault. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 The Bavarian State Ballet has decided not to dump Goecke's works. Link to comment
miliosr Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 The Nederlands Dans Theater isn't inconveniencing itself either: Statement incident Marco Goecke (ndt.nl) Link to comment
Fosca Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 Berlin State Ballett will show his piece in June. Gauthier Dance at Stuttgart will keep him as Associate Choreographer. He was fired in the meantime from Hannover, but they also will continue to show his pieces. And of course his assault will have legal consequences. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 1 hour ago, miliosr said: The Nederlands Dans Theater isn't inconveniencing itself either: Statement incident Marco Goecke (ndt.nl) I'm not surprised. My guess would be that ticket sales are up. People are probably curious to see what the fuss was about. To me this is a non-apology. In effect, "but she's a bigger bitch than I am" or "she made me do it." https://www.ndt.nl/content/uploads/2023/02/STATEMENT-UND-ENTSCHULDIGUNG-VON-MARCO-GOECKE-ZUM-VORFALL-AM-11.2.23-IN-DER-STAATSOPER-HANNOVER.pdf Link to comment
sandik Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 I was curious to see the original review, and found it here. I don't speak German, and so ran it through Google Translate. Some of the language is probably tweaked because of it, but it does sound like she's written negatively about his work before, as well as in this review. Still, it's her job to have an opinion, and express it in a lively way. I'm a dance critic, and I don't expect artists to like me or my work. That goes with the territory. But physical assault is a whole different thing. The New York Times ran an interview with Goecke where he says he's still angry with her. I suppose I'm glad that he's honest about it, but I'm surprised he's willing to say it in an interview. If you're curious, you can watch him in rehearsal for a different work in the World Ballet Day 2021 video (starts around 12:25) Link to comment
Mashinka Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 The apology reads like victim blaming to me. I'm comparing the reaction to his works with the reaction to the works of the late Liam Scarlett Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 Wiebke Hüster is similarly unimpressed by Goecke's apology. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/16/hanover-state-opera-ends-contract-marco-goecke-ballet-director-dog-faeces-incident The excrement came from Goecke's unwitting dachshund. Link to comment
Drew Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 (edited) 17 hours ago, Mashinka said: The apology reads like victim blaming to me. Absolutely! It's no apology at all. And I do not give him points for honesty when the honesty amounts to justifying his abusive behavior. He has honestly shown us that he thinks he was provoked by his victim and that despite his actions he deserves a sympathetic hearing. The reviews? I have been curious. too, just how harsh they were (and they had some stinging lines for sure...) But once he physically assaulted the writer it doesn't matter what her reviews said or how they said it. Oh...and Wendy Whelan put up with just as bad from a powerful reviewer at a major paper through much of her career. Can reviewers be out of line? Maybe, though I'd be wary of drawing that line too narrowly. But consider, for example, that in the past Alexander Eckmann found some critics pretentious or ridiculous and made a popular ballet about it (Cacti)--which is now performed all over the world. THAT is an artist's response. I don't even like Cacti all that much but I still think it's an artist's response and an artistic one. William Forsythe was ripped to shreds contemptuously by the NYTimes when Boston Ballet brought his works to New York a few years back; HE sent the Boston dancers a supportive and kind message since they had, in effect, gotten ripped for bringing his work to NY. That's a humane response. But I don't blame Goecke for not being a clever enough choreographer or not being saintly under attack. I don't even blame him for WANTING to smear dog feces on someone (though it's not a desire to boast of). I blame him for his violent assault ....and for being sanctimonious and self-important about it afterwards. And I beg leave to doubt Goecke would have smeared feces in the face of a male critic. Or someone physically bigger than himself. Edited February 18, 2023 by Drew Link to comment
Mashinka Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 10 hours ago, Drew said: And I beg leave to doubt Goecke would have smeared feces in the face of a male critic. Or someone physically bigger than himself. I absolutely second that. I've felt there was an element of misogyny in his actions all along. Link to comment
Drew Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 Marina Harss tweeted a link to this discussion by Hannah Schmidt -- https://van-magazine.com/mag/wiebke-huester-attack/?amp Link to comment
Mashinka Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 The Australian Ballet brings a work part created by Goecke to the ROH in August. As the ubiquitous Crystal Pite is also involved (no one empties the house quicker than she does) I wasn't planning to go anyway but was disappointed the company chose not to bring a classical programme. Hopefully they may now reconsider what they bring. There are people in the arts world that have been cancelled for far, far less. Link to comment
sandik Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 On 2/19/2023 at 1:43 AM, Drew said: Marina Harss tweeted a link to this discussion by Hannah Schmidt -- https://van-magazine.com/mag/wiebke-huester-attack/?amp Thanks for this link -- I would have missed it otherwise. Link to comment
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