Hamburg Ballet scandalized: Volpi has to leave because of mistakes!

Hamburg Ballet scandalized: Volpi has to leave because of mistakes!

The Hamburg Ballet is facing drastic changes. Demis Volpi, who took over the position of director just nine months ago, has now been fired. This decision not only causes a stir, but also brings with it criticism of Culture Senator Carsten Brosda. “What a mess!” some viewers might think. The decision was made at an internal meeting of the company, where the members were informed that Volpi's contract had been terminated by mutual consent without there being a solid basis for his election, as Brosda himself regrets. The supervisory board of the Hamburg State Opera agreed to the early termination of the contract after there had already been a lot of criticism of Volpi's management style, and some dancers even took the step of speaking out against him in an incendiary letter.

Criticism came not only from the dancers, but also from political actors. Marie Kleinert from the Left, for example, expressed that this situation not only damaged Hamburg's image, but rather cost Senator Brosda the trust of the company. The AfD also demanded an explanation as to how it was possible to appoint Volpi despite serious allegations. The new course under Volpi met with resistance from many because his work was characterized by a poor working atmosphere and a lack of transparency. Templates such as a risk assessment were carried out, but the results disappointed those involved.

Interim solutions and the future of the Hamburg Ballet

What happens now to the Hamburg Ballet? Lloyd Riggins, Nicolas Hartmann and Gigi Hyatt will take over the management on an interim basis. Kaja Steffens from the CDU was optimistic and expressed confidence in the strength of the ensemble during the upcoming realignment. The supervisory board plans to organize an externally moderated process for the future development of the company. These efforts are urgently needed because more than half of the dancers had previously spoken out against Volpi. John Neumeier, Volpi's predecessor, also expressed the desire for good cooperation in an interview, but did not go into further detail about the situation.

A significant project that was on Volpi's table was the premiere of "Demian." This will now be replaced by “Surrogate Cities”, which is intended to herald the 50th Hamburg Ballet Days. Until the future and stability of the company is clarified, the important question will be what the artistic vision and the working atmosphere in the ensemble will be like.

Cultural management and challenges

It shows how important effective cultural management is in such complex situations. The job of cultural manager requires a good knack for balancing creative demands and structural needs. Tasks such as fundraising, PR work and program planning are just as important as supporting the artists. Especially in an area as sensitive as dance, a source of difficulties can be communication difficulties and insecurities in the team that suffer from a questionable leadership style.

Professional cultural management could set a new course here. The current developments surrounding the Hamburg Ballet are an impressive example of how important it is that not only creativity counts in culture, but also methodical approaches and the involvement of everyone involved - be it in the creative or organizational area.

The next steps are crucial. The members of the Hamburg Ballet have a duty to help decide who will be at the top and what vision should be pursued - hopefully with a better basis next time. It will be exciting to see how the situation develops.