ballet

A conversation about the future of cinema in theaters unleashed, almost accidentally, one of the most unexpected cultural controversies of the final stretch of the awards season that we are experiencing. Timothée Chalamet had the unfortunate idea of ​​using opera and ballet as symbols of cultural irrelevance, and the institutions in the sector have responded, while Chalamet’s chances of winning an Oscar that many took for granted have begun to be questioned. I didn’t want to dance. Chalamet did not intend to talk about opera. The conversation, held last March 4 with his partnerInterstellar‘ Matthew McConaughey, revolved around something broader: whether theatrical cinema has a future and whether actors should beg audiences to come see it. Chalamet defended that good films (he gave as an example the Barbenheimer phenomenon) they don’t need anyone to promote them. And to illustrate the alternative, he resorted to a somewhat cornerstone image: “I don’t want to work in ballet or opera, which is like ‘hey, keep this alive even if no one cares anymore.’” And he added: “with all due respect to the people of ballet and opera.” Too late. Some answers. The institutions linked to opera and ballet were the first to respond: the Royal Ballet and Opera of London posted on Instagram on Friday a video of artists and technicians on the theater stage. In the description they invited the actor to reconsider his position, without any conflict. The English National Opera was somewhat more aggressive: posted a photo of Chalamet along with his viral date and offered him free tickets with the code “Timothée” so he could “fall in love with opera again.” The Seattle Opera went in the same direction: 14% discount on your production of ‘Carmen‘ using the same code. In a later interview, the Royal Ballet and Opera made it clear: Ballet and opera have influenced contemporary theatre, film, fashion and music for centuries, and millions of people around the world continue to attend their performances. That is, it is not a dying industry. In addition, it was mentioned how the company distributes its productions in more than 1,500 movie theaters in 50 countriesand its own executive director noted in the presentation of that season that three quarters of the institution’s activity occurs outside the Royal Opera House. The artists come in with a bang. People like the Colombian opera singer Isabel Leonard have been less diplomatic, saying on social media that “only a weak person or artist feels the need to belittle the arts that precisely inspire those who seek slower and more contemplative experiences.” The Colombian dancer Fernando Montaño published a formal letter on Instagram: comparing artistic forms, he wrote, limits growth and blocks the ability to develop one’s talent. London dancer Anna Yliaho was more succinct: Only an insecure artist, she said, destroys another discipline to elevate his own. The Irish baritone Seán Tester commented that confusing popularity with value is a fundamental error. From Spain, the orchestra director Alondra de la Parrafrom the Orchestra and Choir Foundation of the Community of Madrid extended the invitation of so many other institutions to Chalamet to come see them and change his mind. Many of these statements were collected in the aforementioned article from The Hollywood Reporter. The worst moment. The statements come at the worst possible time for Chalamet’s campaign in search of the Oscar for Best Actor for ‘Marty Supreme’, one of nine for the film, including the top prize. Chalamet has had a certainly notable career in awards, since at only thirty years old he became youngest male actor to accumulate three nominations for best performance since Marlon Brando. For months, in fact, it has been the favorite, and won at the Critics Choice and the Golden Globes. But the back-and-forth of the months leading up to the awards seems to have taken its toll on the film: first an article about director Josh Safdie’s behavior on a previous shoot. Then the defeat at the BAFTAs (without a single award and with 11 nominations, a record for failure in the contest), followed by the defeat at the SAGs, where Michael B. Jordan won for ‘Sinners’ (becoming the new Oscar favorite). And now, these statements, in line with the Chalamet’s aggressive promotion stylebut that can turn away the most traditional voters. In Xataka | Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ was going to be a flop. Until a trailer that broke several Hollywood rules changed the narrative