The former ballet director of the Hanover State Opera, Marco Goecke, who became widely known outside the cultural scene after a dog faeces attack on a journalist, is temporarily returning to his old place of work as a guest artist.
In February 2023, Goecke had smeared dog poo on a critic for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung German broadsheet in the foyer of the opera house. He had previously accused her of always writing "terrible, personal" reviews.
A choreography by Goecke will be part of a three-part ballet evening, the State Opera announced on Friday. He also designed the costumes and set design for the piece "The Big Crying." The other two parts of the ballet evening, "Uprising" and "Cacti," were created by choreographers Hofesh Shechter and Alexander Ekman.
The premiere is scheduled for June 6, 2025, at the opera house in the northern German city.
A few days after Goecke's dog poo attack last year, his contract as ballet director in Hanover was terminated by mutual agreement.
Proceedings against him were dropped in return for a fine. He himself regretted the incident, saying it was an act of passion.
In the new 2024-25 season, the main focus will be on themes such as community and peaceful interaction with one another.
Seven opera premieres are planned. These include a new production of "Satyagraha," which is also about the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The opera "The Greek Passion" deals with themes such as humanity and charity.
There is also a new production of the famous musical "Chicago," which the opera house said combined song and dance with a social criticism.