Marco Goecke
(Picture: MarcoGoecke002.jpg)An award-winning German ballet director has apologised after smearing faeces on the face of a newspaper critic.
Marco Goecke approached dance critic Wiebke Huester, who writes for the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, during an interval of a premiere on Saturday.
After confronting the critic over a recent review of his production in the Netherlands, Mr Goecke then took out a paper bag of his dog’s faeces and smeared it on Ms Huester’s face.
Mr Goecke has since been suspended from his post as head of Hanover State Opera’s ballet company and barred from entering the opera house.
In a statement, Mr Goecke said: "I would like to apologise sincerely to all concerned, first and foremost to Ms Huester, for my absolutely unacceptable act.
"In retrospect, I am clearly aware that this was a disgraceful act in the heat of the moment and an overreaction.”
Despite apologising for his actions, he called on the media to rethink what he called “a certain form of destructive and hurtful reporting that damages the whole cultural sector".
He added: “I apologise for the fact that I finally blew my top, but I also ask for a certain understanding at least for the reasons why this happened.”
Mr Goecke is being investigated by the police on suspicion of bodily harm and slander after Ms Huester filed a criminal complaint following the incident.
