Zurich Dance Academy – drill, pressure, acting: do we need this ballet? – Culture
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The scandal surrounding the Zurich Dance Academy escalated. Does success justify all means in training? Even experts are critical.
The Swiss “Zeit” journalist Barbara Achermann got the ball rolling after half a year of research. The outrage was huge, as was the media echo.
A punch in the face
Six months of research suggest how powerful the wall of fear and silence was. 13 students from the Zurich Dance Academy, or taZ for short, spoke out anyway. A former lecturer followed.
The allegations against the school management and six teachers: insults, psychological abuse, some were driven into anorexia.
So far no one has taken responsibility. consequences? None so far. Perhaps there will be after the completion of an investigation that is scheduled to last until 2023. A slap in the face for the 13 people who spoke out.
In an interview with “Schweiz aktuell”, Thomas Meier, the decisive Rector of the ZHdK, only remembers two cases from 2015 and 2016. He does not know of any other cases.
«Last piece of DDR»
The two headmasters of the taZ, a prima ballerina and a star dancer, came to Zurich from East Berlin. The Eastern tradition is mentioned several times in the reports. Also the associated drill.
In the ZHdK, the offices of the two headmasters were spoken of as “the last little piece of the GDR”, says former taZ lecturer Sima Bürgin im “Tagesanzeiger” from June 10th quoted. That seems to explain a lot. Only: The GDR ceased to exist 33 years ago.
Denise Welten, the headmistress of the taZ’s predecessor school and former prima ballerina, expressly condemns the methods of the taZ in the same article. But the whole truth is, she says, that “the eastern states got the medals with their drill.” Did people in Zurich close their eyes and accept the methods for the sake of success?
The placement rate of the taZ
The taZ is successful. 80 percent of the students find a job after their training. But is the success of the school right – and the methods drill and pressure, body shaming and insults too?
No, says Christian Spuck, the head of ballet at the Zurich Opera House. Respect and appreciation are shown. Does this mean that dancers would remain physically and mentally unharmed through respect and appreciation, but could not jump that high? Can’t you find a job then?
The Swiss choreographer and director of the Vienna State Ballet Martin Schläpfer told the program 10vor10 that there was a need to catch up in terms of training.