Recent statements by Timothée Chalamet about ballet and opera have sparked a heated debate in the international art world. According to Noticias Argentinas agency, during a public talk at the University of Texas, the actor stated he would not be interested in working in disciplines that constantly need to be defended to stay relevant. The event, organized by Variety, included a conversation with actor Matthew McConaughey, in which Chalamet ironically expressed his stance on these performing arts: 'I don't want to work in ballet or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this alive, even though nobody cares anymore'.' His comment quickly spread on social media, provoking reactions from various sectors of the cultural community, especially as it came during awards season when the actor is competing for an Oscar as best actor for the film 'Marty Supreme,' in which he plays a table tennis player. Amid the stir caused by his words, Chalamet himself tried to downplay the situation with humor, commenting: 'I just lost 14 cents of an audience.' Among the most forceful responses was that of Mexican dancer Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, one of the most recognized figures in classical dance internationally. Carrillo, principal dancer of the Staatsballett Berlin and director of the John Cranko Schule Stuttgart, decided to respond publicly through her social media with a direct message aimed at the actor. 'Dance is alive. Art is alive and continues to inspire, connect, and move people every day all over the world,' she wrote on Instagram. The message was accompanied by a video that began with a clip of Chalamet's statements and then showed scenes from ballet performances, audience ovations, and the final phrase 'WE CARE' ('We care'), along with the name of her foundation and the Danzatlán Festival. In addition, conductor Alondra de la Parra publicly invited the actor to a concert to verify for himself that these disciplines continue to have a strong cultural presence. In turn, opera singers Deepa Johnny and Isabel Leonard defended the relevance of performing arts and collaboration between different artistic expressions. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis also questioned the actor's attitude and asked: 'Why would one artist attack another artist?' Even cultural institutions took advantage of the controversy to respond with humor; for example, the Seattle Opera launched a promotion with a 14% discount on tickets using the code 'Timothée,' while the English National Ballet reminded that its shows draw hundreds of thousands of spectators every year.
