Misty Copeland, a famous ballerina who used to dance with the American Ballet Theatre, is among the artists criticizing Timothée Chalamet for his negative remarks about ballet and opera.
During a recent event for Aveeno skincare, artist and author Copeland, 43, discussed comments made by Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet that caused controversy last week among dancers, opera singers, and others. Chalamet, 30, had been speaking with Matthew McConaughey for CNN and Variety about the importance of keeping live theater going despite the rise of streaming. He then shared his honest opinion about the current state of the fine arts, saying he wouldn’t want to work in fields like ballet or opera where the focus seems to be just on ‘keeping it alive,’ especially since he feels public interest has waned.
Following Timothée Chalamet’s popular quote, Misty Copeland – the first Black principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre – explained that his career has been influenced by traditional art forms. She also shared that she was asked to help promote Chalamet’s project, “Marty Supreme.” Copeland noted that she found it noteworthy to be involved in promoting the project, given her dedication to ballet.
Entertainment & Arts
Timothée Chalamet’s comment that people don’t care about opera and ballet sparked outrage in the arts community. The resulting online backlash highlighted how easily Hollywood celebrities can dominate the conversation, overshadowing other art forms.
During a recent discussion, the dancer didn’t specifically talk about her involvement with the “Marty Supreme” campaign. However, back in November, she shared a post on Instagram with the film’s official account. The post featured Copeland wearing the campaign’s popular jacket and a childhood photo of her practicing ballet, with the film’s slogan, “Dream Big,” displayed above her.
Copeland quickly moved past the movie trailer, instead explaining why ballet and opera remain important despite not being as widely popular as films.
Just because something isn’t currently popular doesn’t make it any less important culturally. People often wrongly assume that popularity equals significance or lasting impact, but that’s not always the case.
After 25 years with American Ballet Theatre, ballerina Copeland recently took her final bow, noting that ballet and opera have endured for centuries for good reason. She believes artists should strive to make these art forms more approachable and demonstrate their continued importance to modern society. Actor Timothée Chalamet, a New York native, also grew up surrounded by ballet. His mother and sister, actress Pauline Chalamet, both trained at the School of American Ballet, a highly respected institution that often leads to careers with the New York City Ballet.
Lifestyle
More and more women are taking up ballet, not to become professional dancers, but to find a sense of community and enjoy the art form’s beauty.
Copeland believes Chalamet’s success as an actor and movie star is directly linked to his background in opera and ballet, suggesting those art forms played a crucial role in developing his talent and opening doors for him.
She added: “We shouldn’t be comparing them.”
Timothée Chalamet’s recent remarks caused a stir among ballet dancers, but many dance companies and opera houses quickly turned the situation into a positive. Organizations like the Music Center in Los Angeles, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Opera used the attention to offer discounted tickets to their upcoming performances, using promo codes that referenced the actor.
The Music Center announced a 20% discount on ballet tickets for shows this summer in Los Angeles, inspired by deals offered in the Pacific Northwest. Use the code CHALAMET at checkout to save on select seats for performances by the New York City Ballet and the Superstars of Paris, featuring Humberto March, at the Music Center in June and July.
This weekend, H.E.R. (Copeland) will be performing at the Oscars to support the film “Sinners.” She’ll be on stage Sunday with the film’s star, Miles Caton, and musician Raphael Saadiq to perform their song, “I Lied to You.” Other artists joining the performance include Buddy Guy, Shaboozey, and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes.
The 98th Oscars will air live Sunday at 4 p.m. on ABC.
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2026-03-11 23:31