Gábor Keveházi and Hungarian State Opera Director clash over ballet leadership

A significant professional and personal conflict has emerged between Kossuth Prize-winning ballet artist Gábor Keveházi and Szilveszter Ókovács, the Director General of the Hungarian State Opera. The dispute stems from an open letter sent by Keveházi and 12 other prominent ballet professionals to cultural leadership, expressing concerns regarding the direction of the Hungarian National Ballet and the professional decisions made over the last 16 years.

Keveházi criticized the current management for allegedly moving away from the traditions established by previous leaders and argued that the national ballet should focus more on preserving Hungarian and classical traditions, including the works of Hungarian choreographers. He also raised concerns regarding the training structure at the University of Dance, suggesting that classical ballet requires a specialized educational approach.

The tension escalated when Ókovács announced the suspension of a monthly allowance Keveházi receives as a beneficiary, pending a public apology from the artist. While Keveházi issued an apology to retail workers following controversial remarks regarding manual labor, he refused to apologize to Ókovács, stating he would rather work in a supermarket than yield to the Director General.