Don't like critics? Smear dog poop on their face like German choreographer Marco Goecke
Marco Goecke was an acclaimed ballet choreographer but his recent actions have led to some disgrace (photo-DailyO)
In Bollywood’s 2022 calendar, Dulquer Salmaan starred as a serial killer in the thriller Chup: Revenge of the Artist. The premise revolved around Salmaan’s character targeting critics who wrote dishonest or paid reviews for films.
Now, a real-life Chup has been recreated in Germany (thankfully with no fatal results) as German choreographer Marco Goecke went on to attack a critic by smearing dog feces on her face. The reason? She wrote a negative review for Goecke’s work.
The New York Times reports that Goecke has been suspended as director of ballet at the Hanover State Opera. As of Monday, February 13, the police department of Hanover (the capital of the German state of Lower Saxony) has also started an investigation for the case involving bodily harm and insult.
Who is Marco Goecke?
The 50-year-old German choreographer mostly specialises in directing ballet performances. Since 2013-2014, he has been associated with the Netherlands-based theatre Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) as Associate Choreographer. For the 2022-2023 season, Goecke was to choreograph his first full-length creation for NDT 1 (one of the two dance companies under NDT), a performance titled In the Dutch Mountains.
What was the show about?
According to NDT’s official website, In The Dutch Mountains is a performance that is inspired by a novel by Dutch novelist Ceese Nooteboom and the 1987 song by Dutch band Nits of the same name. Adding that the play deals with the absurdities of life, NDT also quotes Marco Goecke on the inspiration behind In Dutch Mountains:
Was the review that bad?
In a review for German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 57-year-old dance critic Wiebke Hüster penned a review that didn’t just sum up her views but also that of the audience. In the German-language review, she wrote that “[Goecke’s] audiences would feel like they’re going insane or dying of boredom”.
She also added that the ballet was ultimately a work of "abstract meaninglessness".
Angered by the review, Goecke orchestrated his dog poop attack and Hüster couldn’t dodge it. The critic reported him to the police soon after.
Where did Goecke get his sh*t from?
Given that Goecke absolutely adores his pet dachshund Gustav, it is highly likely that he collected the excrement of his own dog.
Now what?
The Hanover State Opera posted an announcement on their website stating that they are firing Goecke from his position for his “impulsive reaction”.
"The Lower Saxony Theater has asked the ballet director to apologise comprehensively in the next few days and to explain to the theatre management before informing about further steps," read the statement.