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The director of a prominent German ballet company has been fired after he got into a heated confrontation with a critic because she has been routinely critical of his work.
Journalist Wiebke Hüster told CNN that Marco Goecke, head of the Hanover State Opera's ballet company, came up to her during the intermission of a show and started to berate her. As their argument escalated, he rubbed a bag filled with dog feces on her face.
"Goecke rubbed the dog feces hard and most brutally into my face," Hüster told the network. "It was in an open dog plastic bag which usually is tied up with a knot."
"I was completely guileless when he approached me because he spoke calmly, otherwise, I would have turned away, but his bright red face showed his excitement," she added. "The bystanders were paralyzed with shock while I was screaming and crying."
After she composed herself, Hüster reported the incident to the police, who launched an investigation into the incident.
While Goecke apologized after the incident, officials with the opera house decided to cut ties with him.
"A trustful cooperation with Marco Goecke in a leading position is inconceivable for the Hanover State Opera after the assault on journalist Wiebke Hüster. Marco Goecke's irresponsible actions have deeply unsettled the audience, irritated the public, violated all the principles of the house, and massively damaged the reputation of the Hanover State Opera," the opera house said in a statement.