Filipino prima ballerina and Ballet Manila’s CEO Lisa Macuja-Elizalde addressed Timothée Chalamet’s viral comment about ballet, which garnered backlash online.
Photo: Ballet Manila/Instagram and Variety/YouTube
On March 12, Lisa posted an Instagram reel in which she responded to Timothée’s remark that “no one cares” about ballet and opera anymore.
View this post on Instagram
“Dear Timothée Chalamet, I just want to thank you for renewing the fighting spirit in me and the fighting spirit in all of us ballet dancers,” she said.
“Ballet Manila has always been dedicated to bringing ballet to the people, and more people to the ballet for the last 31 years,” she added.
The renowned ballerina affirmed that ballet remains a relevant art form.
“It took you just one statement to wake us all up to the fact that what we are doing is very relevant, and that we really care,” she stated.
Afterwards, she invited everyone to watch Ballet Manila’s “Sleeping Beauty,” which will return for a limited run from March 13 to 15 at the Aliw Theater. The upcoming production will also be accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra.
Following this post, fellow ballet enthusiasts and social media users expressed their support for the community.
“Thank you Ms Lisa, for making ballet accessible to everyone,” one social media user wrote.
Another netizen commented, “Bravo! Overflowing care and respect for the dance community!”
On February 25, Variety posted an hour-long conversation between Timothée and Matthew McConaughey, where they talked about films. Then, they talked about the challenges that films have faced in recent years due to the rise of streaming platforms.
“I admire people—and I’ve done it myself—who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theaters alive, we’ve gotta keep this genre alive,’” he said in a clip from a conversation with Matthew. “And another part of me feels like if people want to see it, like Barbie, like Oppenheimer, they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it.”
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive,’ even though no one cares about this anymore. All respect to the ballet and opera people out there … I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason,” he added.
While the interview was uploaded in February, the snippet of their conversation only gained negative traction this month.
ALSO READ: Curious About Ballet? Here’s What’s Happening on Manila Stages This Year
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