The professional dancer Misty Copeland43, countered recent statements by Timothy Chalamet30, about the importance of ballet and opera for art. The dancer spoke during her participation in a panel held in New York, in the United States.
“Firstly, I need to say that it is very interesting that he invited me to participate in promoting my art form,” she said.
The controversial statement by the actor who is running for was given at an event promoted by the magazine Variety ea CNNnext to Matthew McConaughey56.
In the chat, the actor said that, things that, according to him, “are like: ‘Hey keep this thing alive’, even if it seems like no one cares about it'”. Soon after, Timothée assured that he “has all the respect” for professionals in this industry.
“I think it’s important that we recognize that, yes, this is an art form that isn’t ‘popular’ and isn’t as much a part of pop culture as movies are. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have lasting relevance in culture. People often confuse something being popular with something meaningful or having greater impact. There’s a reason opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years,” Copeland continued.
In 2015, Misty became the first black woman promoted to principal ballerina at American Ballet Theatre. Upon winning the title, the American dedicated her career to reinforcing the motto that “access and opportunity” are factors that can change a person’s life.
“I want people to understand the importance and relevance of this in our communities and our culture. […] I mean, he wouldn’t be an actor and wouldn’t have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet, given their relevance in that field. All these arts have their place and we shouldn’t compare them”, concluded the dancer.
In addition to Copeland, several international ballet and opera companies and To date, the actor has not publicly commented on his position.
*With information from Caroline Ferreira, from CNN Brasil. Published under the supervision of Gabriela Maraccini
