The Franco-American actor Timothée Chalamet finds himself at the center of a lively controversy after statements deemed contemptuous towards opera and ballet, two emblematic disciplines of the classical arts.
The controversy arose during a public exchange with actor Matthew McConaughey organized as part of the promotion of his new film Marty Supreme. Asked about the types of artistic projects that attract him, Chalamet mentioned the forms of art in which he did not see himself evolving. He then cited opera and ballet, explaining that in his opinion these were arts that one was trying to preserve when “no one really has anything to do with them anymore today”.
Aware of the provocative nature of his remarks, the actor immediately qualified by adding ‘with all due respect for those who work there’, before joking about the consequences of his remark: ‘I probably just lost part of my audience’. If Timothée Chalamet tried to lighten the mood, the phrase quickly circulated on social networks and triggered a wave of reactions in the cultural world.
The world of opera and ballet in anger
Many artists and institutions have denounced reductive remarks regarding disciplines that have structured the history of the arts for several centuries. Behind every opera or ballet production there are hundreds of professionals: dancers, lyrical singers, musicians, choreographers, costume designers and technicians. For many, to claim that these art forms are no longer of interest is to ignore their vitality and cultural importance.
Several major figures in dance and classical music have spoken to defend these disciplines. Prestigious institutions, such as the Paris Opera or the Metropolitan Opera of New York (which sold 72% of the tickets for the 2023-24 season), also reacted on social networks, sometimes with humor, by publishing excerpts from shows to recall the modernity and creativity of these arts. The Seattle Opera even promoted its opera Carmen with the Timothée code, while the Vienna Opera made a vox pop about passers-by’s relationship to this art.
The controversy has also spread to Hollywood. Several celebrities took a stand, including singer Doja Cat and actor Bradley Whitford, who publicly defended the artistic value of opera and ballet.
Cliquez ici pour lire l’article en entier sur Luxus Magazine.
Featured photo : CNN
