German ballet director stops short of apology for foul attack on critic in radio interview

A PRIZE-WINNING German ballet director accused of a shocking attack on a critic, in which he smeared dog faeces on the critic’s face, stopped short of an apology in a statement made on Tuesday, February 14.

Speaking to the German radio station NDR, Marco Groeke admitted that his “attack means” on critic Wiebke Hüster was “not super”. However, Groeke said that his reaction was impulsive on seeing Hüster and that he felt obliged to act in response to years of “annihilatory criticism”.

German police are continuing to investigate the attack which took place on Sunday, February 12 during the interval of his latest show. Hüster, a ballet critic, had described Groeke’s’ In the Dutch Mountain’ as “boring” and “disjointed”, which is thought to have prompted the attack.

Groeke first verbally assaulted her, then smeared his dog’s faeces on her face from a bag which he produced during the attack.

Groeke, winner of the 2022 German dance prize, has been suspended from his role as head of Hannover State Opera and is not permitted to enter the Opera House building in the wake of the shocking attack.