Suvi Honkanen, former dancer of the National Ballet, told her story to Yle in January. Then Javier Torres decided to withdraw the former artistic director’s choreographies from the National Ballet’s repertoire.
The Danish Kenneth Greve had to leave his job in the spring of 2018 – just a few months before his season at the helm of the Finnish National Ballet would have ended anyway.
The reason was inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment. Suvi Honkanen was one of Greve’s victims.
In an interview with Yle, Torres says that Honkanen’s story helped him sharpen his artistic vision. On the other hand, he emphasizes that the decision to change the repertoire was made specifically from artistic points of view.
– Some of the program did not fit my artistic line. I changed a couple of program numbers, and one of the choreographies was done by Kenneth Greve, Torres says on the phone.
In addition to Greve’s choreography, Torres switched out the *Peppi Longstocking* themed program number.
\”Things have changed\”
Many people who follow the ballet think that Greve’s works should have been left out of the National Ballet’s repertoire a long time ago.
Why was the decision to remove his choreography made only now, Javier Torres?
– I can only answer for my own season, says Torres, who started his season in August last year.
When reading Suvi Honkanen’s story, Torres thought that ballet has a history in which she has not been a part.
– Suvi has had a difficult time and the experiences still affect me. I can’t identify with his story any more, because things have changed.
Torres doesn’t want to interfere with what his predecessors did anymore. His task is to artistically lead the National Ballet here and now.
– I can say that I do not accept any kind of abuse of power.
So the working atmosphere at the National Ballet is now good?
– You are welcome to visit at any time. You can experience it yourself.