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Scandal in the Hamburg Ballet: Volpi has to leave because of bullying allegations!
Demis Volpi, ballet director of the Hamburg State Opera, abruptly leaves his position after bullying allegations and limited support.
Scandal in the Hamburg Ballet: Volpi has to leave because of bullying allegations!
The Hamburg ballet scene is facing upheaval: Demis Volpi, who only succeeded ballet legend John Neumeier in August 2024, has signed a termination agreement with immediate release. This was announced in a mutual decision between Volpi and the supervisory board of the Hamburg State Opera, as [Welt] reports.
The reason for this drastic step are serious allegations of bullying against Volpi, which led to an anonymous risk assessment by the cultural authority. The result of the assessment came to a clear conclusion: Volpi was no longer tenable in office. This development is particularly explosive since he only recently followed in the footsteps of Neumeier, who shaped the Hamburg Ballet for 51 years.
Toxic working conditions
An open letter from dancers criticized a “toxic working atmosphere” and a lack of competence on Volpi’s part. A total of five first soloists from the Hamburg Ballet did not extend their contracts, and numerous members of the ensemble signed an incendiary letter to Culture Senator Carsten Brosda, which reported an “atmosphere of fear” under Volpi. Critics accuse him of contemptuous behavior and a lack of communication, which has led to great discontent in the company, according to [BR Klassik].
Particularly alarming is the incident involving a 17-year-old dancer who suffered a panic attack during a rehearsal with Volpi. These and other allegations lead to an open exchange about the working conditions in the ballet, which are considered intolerable. In these challenging times, the artistic demands do not remain unaffected: Volpi's planned premiere of “Demian” was canceled and the ballet “Surrogate Cities”, with which he said goodbye in Düsseldorf, will be performed instead. The first two premieres under his direction were successful, but the pressure on the group has noticeably increased, as described in [Augsburger Allgemeine].
The future of the Hamburg Ballet
The supervisory board is now planning a joint interim management until the end of the 2025/2026 season. Discussions are underway with potential candidates such as Lloyd Riggins, Nicolas Hartmann and Gigi Hyatt. Meanwhile, the ballet community hopes that this transition phase offers the opportunity to smooth things over and create a new working atmosphere.
Despite the critical situation, there are voices who fear that the Hamburg Ballet could fall into a nostalgic return to Neumeier's legacy. The Hamburg media report skeptically about the developments taking place in this traditional ballet institution. While the initial successes under Volpi gave reason for hope, the ongoing problems could put the entire ensemble in a difficult position.
The results of the anonymous survey on the work situation will be published in the coming days, which could be both a relief and a new challenge for those involved. It remains to be seen how the ballet scene in Hamburg will develop and whether it can successfully overcome the crisis.