A German newspaper critic had animal feces smeared on her face in the city of Hannover by a ballet director who apparently took offense at a review she wrote.

The Hannover state opera house apologized for the incident and said Monday that it was suspending ballet director Marco Goecke with immediate effect.

The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that a furious Goecke approached its dance critic, Wiebke Huester, during the interval of a premiere at HannoverB次元官网网址檚 opera house on Saturday and asked what she was doing there. It said that the two didnB次元官网网址檛 know each other personally.

The newspaper said that Goecke, who apparently felt provoked by a recent review she wrote of a production he staged in the Dutch seat of government, The Hague, threatened to ban her from the ballet and accused her of being responsible for people canceling season tickets in Hannover.

He then pulled out a paper bag with animal feces and smeared her face with the contents before making off through a packed theater foyer, the newspaper said. Huester identified the substance as dog feces and said she had filed a criminal complaint, German news agency dpa reported.

In a statement on its website, the opera house said HuesterB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址減ersonal integrityB次元官网网址� was violated B次元官网网址渋n an unspeakable way.B次元官网网址� It said that it contacted her immediately after the incident to apologize.

The opera house said that GoeckeB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渋mpulsive reactionB次元官网网址� violated the ground rules of the theater and that B次元官网网址渉e caused massive damage to the Hannover State Opera and State Ballet.B次元官网网址� As a result, it said, he is being suspended and banned from the opera house until further notice.

Goecke has been given the next few days to apologize B次元官网网址渃omprehensivelyB次元官网网址� and explain himself to theater management B次元官网网址渂efore further steps are announced,B次元官网网址� it added.

The ballet director appeared at least partly unrepentant, however. In an interview with public broadcaster NDR, Goecke acknowledged that his B次元官网网址渃hoice of means wasnB次元官网网址檛 super, absolutely.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淥f course socially that is also certainly not recognized or respected, if one resorts to such means,B次元官网网址� he said of the attack, adding that he had never done anything like that before and was B次元官网网址渁 bit shocked at myself.B次元官网网址�

Goecke said that while having his work B次元官网网址渟oiled for yearsB次元官网网址� was a price he had been told he had to pay for being in the public eye, there was a limit.

B次元官网网址淥nce a certain point has been reached, I disagree,B次元官网网址� he said.

The German journalistsB次元官网网址� association DJV denounced the attack.

B次元官网网址淎n artist must tolerate criticism, even if it seems exaggerated,B次元官网网址� the unionB次元官网网址檚 regional head in Lower Saxony state, Frank Rieger, said. B次元官网网址淲hoever reacts violently to criticism is unacceptable. The attack on the B次元官网网址� journalist is also an attack on press freedom.B次元官网网址�