{"id":3856,"date":"2026-03-12T00:19:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T00:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/3856\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T00:19:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T00:19:09","slug":"misty-copeland-reacts-to-timothee-chalamets-ballet-opera-diss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/3856\/","title":{"rendered":"Misty Copeland reacts to Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet’s ballet, opera diss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Misty Copeland, the trailblazing ballet star formerly of the American Ballet Theatre, has joined the chorus of fine arts personalities rebuking Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet for his dismissive comments <\/a>about ballet and opera. <\/p>\n

During a panel<\/a> this week for skincare brand Aveeno, artist-activist-author Copeland, 43, weighed in on the Oscar nominee\u2019s scandalous aside, which sparked backlash from dancers, opera singers and others last week. In a February conversation with Matthew McConaughey for CNN and Variety, Chalamet praised the people keeping the theater-going experience alive amid the popularity of streaming before giving his temperature check on the fine arts world. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be working in ballet or opera or things where it\u2019s like, \u2018Hey! Keep this thing alive,\u2019\u201d the 30-year-old-star said. \u201cEven though it\u2019s like no one cares about this anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to Chalamet\u2019s now-viral line, Copeland \u2014 the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at ABT \u2014 said the centuries-old art forms have informed the actor\u2019s career. She also recalled being asked to help market the Oscar-nominee\u2019s \u201cMarty Supreme.\u201d \u201cI have to say that it\u2019s very interesting that [Chalamet] invited me to be a part of promoting \u2018Marty Supreme,\u2019\u201d Copeland said, \u201cwith respect to my art form.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the dancer did not explicitly detail her part in the \u201cMarty Supreme\u201d campaign during the panel, Copeland in November did a joint Instagram post with the film\u2019s official account. The post<\/a> saw Copeland posing in the viral \u201cMarty Supreme\u201d jacket <\/a>and included a photo of a young Copeland en pointe at a ballet barre with the film\u2019s slogan, \u201cDream Big,\u201d scrawled overhead in bold orange text. <\/p>\n

Copeland did not linger too long on the movie promo, but instead gave insight that acknowledged the importance of ballet and opera even though they are \u201cnot \u2018popular\u2019 and a part of pop culture as movies are.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean it doesn\u2019t have enduring relevance in culture. I think it\u2019s often mistaken when something is more popular that it\u2019s more meaningful or impactful,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Copeland, who took her final bow at ABT after 25 years in the fall, said that \u201cthere\u2019s a reason\u201d ballet and opera have managed to last for centuries and said artists have a responsibility to make their art form more accessible and help people understand its relevance in \u201cour culture.\u201d Chalamet, born and raised in New York amid its rich fine arts scene, was also around ballet growing up: Both his mother and his sister, \u201cSex Lives of College Girls\u201d star Pauline Chalamet, trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet, a pipeline to the renowned New York City Ballet. <\/p>\n

Copeland said Chalamet \u201cwouldn\u2019t be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren\u2019t for opera and ballet and their relevance in that medium.\u201d <\/p>\n

She added: \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be comparing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Chalamet\u2019s comments had ballet dancers\u2019 tutus in a twist, numerous dance companies and opera houses saw the scandal as an opportunity. Los Angeles\u2019 own Music Center, the Pacific Northwest Ballet<\/a>, Seattle Opera<\/a> and numerous other performance houses promoted discounted tickets to upcoming shows with promo codes referencing the actor. <\/p>\n

\u201cInspired by our friends in the Pacific Northwest, we\u2019re giving you 20% off tickets to see incredible #ballet here in #LosAngeles this summer,\u201d the Music Center announced on Tuesday<\/a>. \u201cUse code CHALAMET at checkout to save on select seats to @nycballet<\/a> and the Superstars of Paris starring @humarchand<\/a> here at #MusicCenterLA this June and July.\u201d<\/p>\n

This weekend, Copeland is set to put her talents toward celebrating a different Oscars contender: \u201cSinners.\u201d She will take the Oscars stage on Sunday alongside star Miles Caton and musician Raphael Saadiq for their performance of the film\u2019s blues track \u201cI Lied to You.\u201d Buddy Guy, Shaboozey, Alabama Shakes lead vocalist Brittany Howard are also among the stars set to join the performance. <\/p>\n

The 98th Oscars will air live Sunday at 4 p.m. on ABC. <\/p>\n