The conversation around the cultural relevance of ballet and opera—sparked by Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet’s recent dismissive comments about the art forms—came to a culmination at the Academy Awards on Sunday, with a joke about the backlash from host Conan O’Brien and a performance by celebrated ballet dancer Misty Copeland.
While the Copeland appearance was planned before Chalamet’s remarks went viral, the fact that a ballet dancer took center stage on Hollywood’s biggest night seemed to fly in the face of Chalamet’s assertion that ballet, as opposed to movies, is something “no one cares about anymore.”
‘His remarks arrive from a place of insight’
Neither Julia Rivera, executive director of Los Angeles Ballet, nor Lincoln Jones, founder, choreographer and director of American Contemporary Ballet, took offense to Chalamet’s remarks. Rivera told LAist that while “it’s not very neighborly of one artist to bash the other’s art form,” she had more understanding for where he may have been coming from after learning that Chalamet’s grandmother, mother and sister studied ballet and performed with the New York City Ballet.
“I think his remarks come from a place of insight,” she said, because he likely heard conversations “lamenting [how] we’re always trying to fund these organizations.” Rivera said, “This proves a daily struggle,” and “for a young person, wanting to have a career,” it’s understandable that they may not want to be involved in a nonprofit industry where funding is always a challenge.
‘Like watching ballet in IMAX’
Jones said Chalamet’s remarks were relatable. “What I understood him to be saying was that he wanted to be part of an art form that was central to the cultural conversation,” Jones told LAist. “And I actually agree with that. When I was choosing what to do artistically myself, I actually struggled with that a lot.”
Jones co-founded American Contemporary Ballet in L.A. 15 years ago. He said he was enthralled by ballet from a young age, but his brother made a career shooting cover photos for magazines like Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone and later directing film and TV, and he saw the appeal in that as an artist.
“You want a big audience, you want to have people understand what you’re doing in a visceral and vital way,” he said. “But I just couldn’t get myself away from ballet. I just loved it so much. And so my big thing became ‘How do I do this in a way that is culturally relevant?’”
That’s led Jones to a unique, more modern approach to ballet that’s designed to be more cinematic, and at the same time more intimate. Much of what sets American Contemporary Ballet apart from other ballet companies is that they always perform with live music and in unconventional spaces, like warehouses and soundstages, instead of in theaters.
“So it’s not like you’re sitting in this room where there’s darkened chandeliers, and you’re looking through a frame, which feels a bit 19th century to me,” Jones said. “Instead, it’s sort of like, for lack of a better term, like watching ballet in IMAX. The dancers are larger compared to where you are, you’re in this shared space and it just feels much more majestic to me.”
The pros and cons of staging ballet in L.A.
As for the state of ballet in Los Angeles, Rivera described it as “appreciated, valued and growing.” The company received its first seven-figure gift from a donor just last season. “Audiences are very interested,” Rivera said. “The more ballet that is offered in L.A., the more audiences want. That is very decent news.”
However, she said there are also challenges for a ballet company specific to Los Angeles: “We are a company town and the company is screened entertainment. But the arts also compete with theme parks and sporting teams and the weather and things that have significantly larger budgets.” Navigating that “and finding ways for the voices to break through some of that noise,” Rivera said, “is really tricky. It can be done, but it’s a challenge.”
Lincoln Jones agreed that running a ballet company in Los Angeles has its challenges, but also saw a unique benefit to founding his ballet company in L.A. While Jones first incorporated American Contemporary Ballet in New York, he’s originally from Southern California, and every time he would come home he felt “there was an energy and an openness [here], and a lot of that came from the film industry.”
Jones believes ballet has the potential to be just as exciting as popular films can be. “When I was growing up, people were lining up to see the second Matrix, the first Matrix blew their mind. And now, ‘Oh my God. We have to see what happens in the second one.’ And that doesn’t happen in ballet, but that is absolutely what I’m striving for.”
Los Angeles Ballet has offered a ticket promotion with the code “SUPREME,” a reference to Marty Supreme, the film for which Chalamet earned an Oscar nomination.
So far, Chalamet’s comments seem to be having a positive effect. Rivera, who’s been with the company for 11 out of its 20-year history, said they’ve seen an uptick in ticket sales and donations in recent weeks. “Any time we can talk about opera and ballet is a good day,” Rivera said. “I’m sorry that it’s at one artist’s expense, but he opened the door.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Timothée Chalamet say about ballet and opera?
Timothée Chalamet said he didn’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.’”
How did leaders of Los Angeles ballet companies respond to Chalamet’s comments?
Julia Rivera, executive director of Los Angeles Ballet, and Lincoln Jones, founder, choreographer and director of American Contemporary Ballet, did not take offense to Chalamet’s remarks. Rivera understood his comments given his family’s history with ballet, and Jones related to his desire to be part of a culturally relevant art form.
What is American Contemporary Ballet doing to stay culturally relevant?
American Contemporary Ballet performs with live music in unconventional spaces, like warehouses and soundstages, instead of traditional theaters, aiming for a more cinematic and intimate experience.
Given the recent attention on ballet and opera, what role do you think the arts should play in contemporary culture?
