The ballet and opera world’s attention has been piqu\u00e9d by a certain Hollywood star.<\/p>\n
When Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a> said “no one cares” about ballet or opera during a celebrity.land and Variety town hall<\/a>, posted on Feb. 24,\u00a0it ignited a firestorm<\/a> of rebuke among fans of these classical art forms.<\/p>\n The controversy was center stage at the 98th Academy Awards<\/a> on March 15, with jokes and even a famous ballerina making a very clear counterpoint. Chalamet did not win in the Best Actor category<\/a> for “Marty Supreme” and played it cool despite multiple references to the comments during the night.<\/p>\n Here’s what to know about how the conflict started in the first place and why it matters to everyday fans.<\/p>\n 1<\/span> \/ 0<\/p>\n Social media erupted last month when video surfaced of Chalamet in conversation with Matthew McConaughey<\/a>, in which Chalamet discussed Hollywood’s business and the pressure to make movies hit at the box office.<\/p>\n “I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theaters alive, we’ve gotta keep this genre alive,’ and another part of me feels like if people want to see it, like ‘Barbie<\/a>,’ like ‘Oppenheimer,’ they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it,” he told McConaughey.<\/p>\n He then went on to say the words that would ignite fervor:<\/p>\n “I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” Chalamet told McConaughey.<\/p>\n As the clip of Chalamet’s words about ballet and opera circulated online, fans and performers of these art forms made their frustration known<\/a>. Ballet, a classical dance form, and opera, a powerful genre of narrative vocal performance, may not be popular to mass audiences, some argued, but their value to culture and society are proven by the fact they have a long legacy. Both are highly physical performance styles that require decades of specialized training and experience to master, fans say, showing many people clearly “care.”<\/p>\n In one response, Brazilian ballet dancer, Victor Caixeta, defended ballet and opera’s legacy<\/a> that has “survived for centuries,” writing, “Let\u2019s see if your movies are still being watched in 300 years,” he added.<\/p>\n Multiple theaters offered discounted tickets<\/a> with the code “Chalamet.” “The Pitt”<\/a> star Katherine LaNasa shared a video of herself training <\/a>i<\/a>n ballet<\/a>. Pop star Doja Cat clapped back<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n “I’m sure you could walk into an opera theater right now, seats would be filled out, and nobody is saying a word as the performance is going because everybody has that much respect for it,” Doja Cat said.<\/p>\n Chalamet, ballet and opera: <\/strong>‘Jeopardy!’ subtly shades Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet with ‘ballet and opera’ category<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Even Deepak Marwah, the head of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York, where Chalamet himself studied, chimed in via an open letter<\/a>. He expressed to the actor: “We know your heart, and we know you know better.”<\/p>\n Marwah and others mentioned Chalamet’s words come despite own legacy within the ballet world: His grandmother, mother and sister danced with the New York City Ballet, he said in an interview<\/a> promoting “Marty Supreme.”<\/p>\n “I grew up dreaming big at the backstage at the Koch Theater in New York,” he said, referencing the New York City venue for ballet and dance.<\/p>\n Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, right, has been facing backlash after saying that “no one cares” about ballet or opera anymore.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Meanwhile, Misty Copeland,<\/a>\u00a0one of America’s premier ballerinas, said she was surprised<\/a> by Chalamet’s remarks, particularly after he had asked for her help in promoting “Marty Supreme.”<\/p>\n “I think that it’s important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that’s not ‘popular’ and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture,” Copeland, 43,\u00a0said\u00a0during a panel<\/a>\u00a0for the cosmetics company Aveeno.<\/p>\n The backlash marked Chalamet’s campaign for Best Actor leading up the 98th Academy Awards.<\/p>\n Chalamet attended the Oscars with girlfriend Kylie Jenner<\/a> in an all-white suit and displayed a cool affection<\/a> throughout the night, despite losing for Best Actor and multiple nods during the show to the controversy.<\/p>\n “Security is extremely tight tonight,” host Conan O’Brien said<\/a>. “I’m told there’s concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.” He added: “They’re just mad you left out jazz.”<\/p>\n The crowd erupted in laughter, and the camera showed Chalamet cracking a smile<\/a>.<\/p>\n Chalamet at the Oscars: <\/strong>Chalamet and Kylie Jenner turn heads at Vanity Fair party<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Copeland also made a point en pointe<\/em>, spinning out of the shadows<\/a> to perform ballet with Chalamet sitting nearby during a simmering blues-rock fusion of\u00a0\u201cI Lied to You\u201d\u00a0from \u201cSinners.”<\/p>\n Misty Copeland dances on stage during the performance of “I Lied to You” from “Sinners” during the Oscars show.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Chalamet has not publicly addressed the controversy.<\/p>\n Whether or not you’re a ballet or opera fan, the discourse struck a cord with many: Some on social media defend<\/a> his words, saying they were taken out of context. Others feel the Chalamet they have come to love has betrayed them<\/a> or grown “arrogant”<\/a> as his stardom booms.<\/p>\n Either way, the main reason we feel so invested in the star’s point of view is the parasocial relationship<\/a> we have with celebrities, which are the “illusion of friendship<\/a>” with high-profile people like Chalamet, sociology experts<\/a> have explained to USA TODAY.<\/p>\n If we feel Chalamet is a person we know, it can make it extra hurtful when he says something unexpected, the experts note. But it’s important to remember parasocial connections are up to us to discern: We’ll never know the whole story<\/a> of celebrities.<\/p>\n No matter how you feel about the discourse, perhaps the energy around Chalamet’s claims are just further evidence of Marwah’s words<\/a> that ballet and opera are “very much alive.”<\/p>\n Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Anthony Robledo<\/em><\/p>\n This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Explaining the Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet controversy about ballet, opera<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe best Oscars moments you didn’t see on TV, from backstage sightings to celeb hangouts<\/h2>
The video that started it all<\/h2>\n
The ballet and opera worlds respond<\/h2>\n
On stage at the Oscars<\/h2>\n
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Why do we care?<\/h2>\n