“And I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive,’ even though it’s like, no one cares about this anymore.”

You may be familiar with the recent controversy involving Timothée Chalamet, as seen in his recent CNN interview. According to this celeb, “no one cares,” about ballet or the opera. This author could not disagree more.

I believe that ballet proves to be more relevant now than ever. Especially with the creative freedom we are now afforded in individual expression, culture and dance aren’t going anywhere. In fact, quite the opposite; these moments on stage have and will continue to shape the future as a whole.

Personally, art through movement and dance has taught me a plethora of things. Most importantly that a story can be told without words, and if you are intentional in your storytelling, then the message you leave behind will have greater repercussions than you could ever imagine. I believe that this is especially true in the greater context of worldwide influence, as the performances are not just seen, but experienced and carried globally.

The truth is, comments like Chalamet’s exist everywhere, both on celebrity and local levels. For me, these words hit close to home, because it’s further reinforcing the fact that not everyone understands or appreciates the time and dedication needed to make it in a profession in the arts. Even recreationally, ballet and opera take a massive physical toll on your body and a mental one accompanying that as well.

Last October, Misty Copeland performed her final farewell to the American Ballet Theater, and her performance moved not just the crowd, but all of her fellow dancers to tears. This marked the end of an era for her, but everyone knew that this wasn’t the final curtain call on her career. Simply an intermission in her legendary story. Last weekend, Copeland proved this true by performing at the Oscars to Sinners. This performance not only was a direct rebuttal to Chalamet’s insensitive comments, but it also made a ‘pointe’ that dance and performance is alive and well… regardless of Timothee’s opinion.

Most surprising of all of this happens to be that Chalamet himself joined the standing ovation after Copeland’s Oscar show. Perhaps this could be the beginning of his apology to the ballet world?

Overall, the performance world and industry isn’t going anywhere, whether Timothée likes it or not.