Recently, Timothée Chalamet trashed his own Oscars campaign during a CNN & Variety Town Hall discussion with Matthew McConaughey by bad-mouthing ballet and opera in relation to how important he sees movie theaters.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like ‘keep this thing alive’ even though no one cares about these anymore,” he rambled, while McConaughey laughed and agreed.
Well, it’s safe to say that fans of the arts are not happy. Chalamet, although nominated for 9 Oscars, walked away empty-handed, while ballet stars like Misty Copeland were featured in the musical performance of the winning feature, Sinners.
Online audiences have spoken out against his comments. Professionals in the arts are proving how challenging and respected their jobs are — and are very much still cared about —, fans are romanticizing watching art performances, and YouTube video essays are connecting Timothée’s comments to his downfall at the Oscars.
“Timmy could never” is a common phrase in these sorts of posts. They also occasionally point out that his family was heavily involved in ballet, and he doesn’t even have the skill required to pursue it himself. Basically, he’s just a lot of privileged talk.
Well, I had the opportunity to test his claims at the Boston Ballet the other night, and let me tell you, ballet and opera are very much alive.
Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream is a ballet that has been staged many times, but this was my first exposure to its combination of Shakespearean opera and comedic choreography. I had experienced them separately from growing up dancing ballet with my sister, and performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in my high school theater program.
Because of Chalamet’s recent comments and their widespread backlash across social media and the arts community, Boston Ballet’s rendition couldn’t have come at a better time.
I absolutely adored the visuals of The Dream; the costumes were lush and ornate, all the fairies draped in airy green skirts and capes, and the lovers’ comedic steps emphasized by their ridiculous 1830s-style dresses and hairstyles. The set perfectly completed the aesthetic, featuring knotted trees and a hazy yellow moon framing the stage.
I believe that what Chalamet is most wrong about is his idea that these arts are stale. The Boston Ballet did a perfect job emulating the show’s modern elements and maintaining the attention of a contemporary audience.
First, the dancing was both amazing and unexpected. I was shocked to see Nick Bottom, transformed into a donkey with a perfectly oversized and gimmicky head, dancing en pointe, which is very rare for a male ballerina. It gave the character the perfect animal clumsiness and cleverly integrated the traditional constraints of ballet into emulating the humiliation of being transformed into, and falling in love with, a donkey.
The choreography also felt very modern because of its comedic nature. The fairies did a great job acting horrified at their queen’s new love, and the lovers executed perfect physical comedy in switching partners and fighting over each other’s affections.
For example, in one of the couples, the woman would leap at the man and try to kiss him, and he would refuse her. After the interference of the fairy love spells, when the other man fell in love with her, the dynamics flipped. The second man would leap at the woman, and she would reject him.
This repetition was easy for the audience to understand and appreciate. It felt like we were all in on an inside joke, a high task when “ballet talk” is usually extremely difficult to decipher. People’s laughter nearly drowned out the orchestra.
Timmy, you are wrong. Ballets like The Dream show that this form of art is not only physically challenging, but a critically successful form of acting. And it works; the audience absolutely adored it, giving a standing ovation accompanied by whoops and cheers.
Finally (and this cracked me up more than the donkey antics), there was a small booth of opera singers off to the side of the stage that would periodically narrate the action. I thought to myself, This is Timmy’s worst nightmare. Ballet and opera? In one room? With a massive audience that is enjoying every second? Not a dream at all to ping pong wannabes.
Before seeing the show, I was wondering how Shakespeare’s lyricism could be incorporated into a ballet, so the opera singers were the best surprise. They didn’t overpower the dancing, only singing during a fraction of the performance. This method of clarifying the action and advancing worldbuilding was a new way for me to encounter ballet as an art form.
Timmy, ballet isn’t dying; it’s enduring and evolving. Catch up.
I highly recommend seeing Boston Ballet’s The Dream if you get the chance. You can find tickets online, and the code MARCH or LUCKY may give you $20 off tickets.
The Dream runs until March 29 at the Citizens Opera House!
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