The grievances criticized by a special commission at the ballet academy of the Vienna State Opera have personnel consequences: The previous director of the ballet academy, Simona Noja-Nebyla, has been dismissed.
The artistic direction of the Ballet Academy will take over the direction of the Vienna State Opera from now until the realignment, the Bundestheater-Holding announced on Friday.
The Austrian Minister of Culture Alexander Schallenberg, the Managing Director of the Bundestheater Holding Christian Kircher, State Opera Director Dominique Meyer and his successor Bogdan Roscic, who was appointed in autumn 2020, made the decision in joint discussions, several Austrian media reported.
Years of abuse
The special commission set up by the Austrian government stated in its report that child protection at the academy, with its 130 mostly foreign students aged 10 to 18 years, had been grossly disregarded. Among other things, the children did not have adequate health care.
The commission had been following reports since April that a teacher appears to have humiliated and abused her students for years. Hurtful remarks about her appearance were said to be the order of the day. Some girls are said to have been driven into the anorexia.
The State Opera had emphasized that numerous steps had already been taken since the allegations became known in the spring. The current and future management of the State Opera worked together with experts to realign the ballet academy in the interests of the child and to provide modern, professional training. The new management of the ballet academy should be appointed in autumn 2020.