Marco Goecke stages Nutcracker at Ballet Basel after 2023 feces incident

Marco Goecke, the German choreographer who in 2023 smeared feces from his dachshund on a dance critic, is staging a nontraditional "Nutcracker" as artistic director of Ballet Basel. The 2023 incident at the Hanover State Opera prompted a police investigation, a 5,000-euro fine (about $5,800) and the loss of his post at Hanover.

The new "Nutcracker" premiered Saturday and runs through March 27. Early reviews focused on his choreography: Dorion Weickmann in the Süddeutsche Zeitung called it a "persuasive reworking of a classic," and Lilo Weber in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung said audiences could find "great pleasure" in the "fabulous, extremely precise" dancing.

Manuel Brug of Die Welt said most critics would put the excrement episode aside when assessing Goecke’s performances. Not everyone has moved on. Arifa Akbar presented a BBC radio series this summer asking whether Goecke’s actions illustrated "the waning power and authority" of criticism.

An opinion article in the Basler Zeitung argued that Basel had blown its second chance with him, and some audience members at the premiere, including Ruth Klein, found the production disorienting and left during the intermission. Theater leaders say they weighed the episode before hiring him.

Key Topics

Culture, Marco Goecke, Ballet Basel, Nutcracker, Hanover State Opera, Wiebke Hüster