Actor Timothée Chalamet recently made headlines after sharing his opinions on ballet and opera. He said that these are art forms that people try to “keep alive” even though “no one cares about them anymore.” His comments sparked backlash and debate from dancers and fans who pointed out that ballet is very much still alive. In fact, if you spend a few minutes scrolling through social media, you will see that millions of people are engaging with ballet content everyday.
Social media has allowed ballet to reach audiences beyond a theater. Through TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram, dancers and ballet creators are sharing rehearsals, pointe work, and behind-the-scenes moments with huge audiences. This content is reaching people who have never danced a day in their life. For people who may never attend a ballet performance, these creators offer a way to learn about the art form. Here are five ballet content creators proving that people do still care about the art.
@lunamontana
Luna Montana is one of the most recognizable ballet creators on Youtube. She started dancing at an early age and began her content creation journey when she was a teenager. She trained in classical ballet and built her platform by sharing videos about her experiences. Luna’s content often includes vlogs about ballet training, day-in-the-life videos, studio routines, beauty tutorials, as well as trendy content. She openly discusses issues of body image in dance, injuries, and pressures that dancers feel in the community. By showing both the highs and lows of the dance world, she has helped many viewers understand what it actually takes to pursue ballet seriously.
@mackenziedaviz
Another dancer who shares the ups and downs of the profession is Mackenzie Davis. She is a professional currently under the company Azara Ballet. Mackenzie is known for sharing her life as a neurodivergent dancer. She shares content from class, rehearsals, as well as what she does when she is not at the studio. Her transparent content about toxic dance studios and companies is something that can resonate with anyone. Her content gives viewers insight into the daily routines that dancers follow in order to stay flexible, strong, and performance-ready.
@maddwoo
Madeline Woo is another dancer who has gained an audience online. She is a professional ballerina at the San Francisco Ballet, a contemporary company, as a principal dancer. Madeline has gone viral for her alternative ballerina look. She also has her own dance and streetwear company, MADDWOO. Madeline has won multiple accolades in her early years of dancing, including the Prix de Lausanne 2015 YAGP. Her content often shows clips from inside the studio, highlighting combinations she is practicing or moments from rehearsals. She also shares relatable jokes about dancer habits and training struggles, which makes ballet feel less intimidating and more approachable for audiences who may not know much about it.
@rileythomasweber
Not every ballet creator focuses on dancing itself. Riley, who appears in viral videos from The Pointe Shop, has gone viral for posting pointe shoe fittings on TikTok. In his videos, dancers try on different pointe shoes while Riley explains how each one does or doesn’t work for that specific dancer. Many others have began parodying his videos on TikTok, creating a trend. These videos not only attract dancers looking for advice but also fascinate viewers who are curious about the technical side of ballet.
@Kiraelon
Finally, Kira Elon shares ballet content that focuses on both training and performance. Kira is currently a company dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Her video include studio rehearsals, pointe work, and choreography clips that show the strength and control required in ballet. She gives followers a closer look at the discipline behind the art form.
Creators like these are helping bring ballet into the digital age. Through rehearsal clips, training videos, and educational content, they are showing millions of viewers that ballet is very much alive. Social media has given the art form a new spotlight, and audiences are clearly paying attention.