If you have been chronically online for the past few weeks you may have come across Timothee Chamalet’s very controversial opinion on ballet. Earlier this March, Timothee was a special guest on Variety’s CNNs interview with Matthew McConauchey, stating that he does not want to work in “dying art forms” that “no one cares about anymore”. Those comments sparked a lot of backlash and criticism from the arts community and mainstream media.
The art of Ballet has been around for many years, and certainly a lot longer than Mr. Chalamet has been around as well, so I would like to highlight ballet and its history.
Ballet originated in the 15th Century in the Italian Renaissance courts before flourishing in the 17th century France under Louis XIV, who finalized the technique, so the form of Ballet began in the early 1400s , but formalized in the late 1500s. Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King” of France, was a passionate dancer who founded the Academie Royal de Danse in 1661.
Ballet is not just a dance form where you throw on a tutu and some flats and call it a day. It’s a crucial sport, it is a hardcore foundational discipline for all dance forms, including exceptional posture, strength and flexibility; but most importantly discipline and emotional expression.
Fun fact: Timothee Chalamet has deep family roots in ballet, with his mother, grandmother and sister all trained or performed as professional dancers in the New York City Ballet.
Some of the most famous ballet shows, considered the staples of the sport, include Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty. Other iconic performances include Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote and Coppelia. Here are some famous movies based on or deeply inspired by Ballet, ranging from psychological thrillers to inspiring dramas and classic musicals.
Some key examples include Oscar-Winning Black Swan, a dance film Center Stage, and some kid/teen friendly romance/comedy movies such as Save the Last Dance and Leap! and Almost every single performance written here has had millions and millions of audiences come to see the show in awe, along with millions of children having their lifelong dream to become those dancers onstage.
