In a recent interview with Matthew McConaughey discussing the world of art in his past and current projects, Timothée Chalamet made a claim that has caused commotion across the art world. Sat in his orange shirt sporting a gold chain and his gradually fading buzz reminiscent of his recent movie Marty Supreme, Chalamet claimed in response to the topic of the modern short attention span that he didn’t want to be participating in an art form like ballet or opera where people are trying to “keep this thing alive even though no one cares about it anymore”. Sparking large controversies online, this clip has only highlighted the global importance and relevance of ballet and opera, particularly in the pertinent intersectionality of arts they foster.

Chalamet’s reference to keeping ballet and opera alive alludes to the struggle within the arts to maintain viewership and funding in 2026’s highly competitive market of social media, Artificial Intelligence and unstable economic climate. However, to suggest that no one cares about ballet and opera and that therefore these specific art forms are dying is an extremely limited viewpoint, if not blatantly wrong. In the Royal Ballet and Opera 2023/4 Annual Report, they noted that 52% of tickets bought were by “new bookers” – this field is most definitely alive, as Chalamet’s ballet dancer grandmother, mother, and sister would probably agree.

“Film remains preoccupied with honouring the traditional predecessors”

To be a ballet or opera singer takes incredible accuracy and training – hence the existence of eleven conservatoires in the UK which are extremely competitive to get in to and earn a degree from. Opera and ballet display skills that are highly technical such as holding a note in an aria for over 20 seconds (as Montserrat Caballé is renowned for) or dancing en pointe which requires extreme foot and ankle strength. These mediums are particularly renowned within the wider art world as both ballet and opera intersect with a wide range of mediums such as music, design and interaction with a live audience.

Famous names such as Luciano Pavarotti, Misty Copeland and Giuseppe Verdi are all united by the extreme technical ability and agility needed to develop their specific proficiencies. Even film remains preoccupied with honouring their traditional predecessors of opera and ballet, despite Chamalet attempting to contrast the art forms. Recenty Angelina Jolie starred as the world-renowned Maria Callas, Sam Riley as John Cranko in the biopic about his life as a ballet choreographer in Stuttgart Ballet Company and Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper in Maestro. The world of film remains consistent in demonstrating the extreme dedication in the fields of opera and ballet from prominent to less known figures.

“Opera and ballet are the antithesis of a dying art”

Opera and the musical accompaniments to ballet are extremely well known and integrated into most people’s subconscious repertoire, an impressive feat considering their requirement of artistic perfection. The ‘Queen of the Night’ aria from Motzart’s The Magic Flute has one of the most distinctive tune with an embellished high speed note variation called coloratura which requires incredible breath control; likewise Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Theme’ demonstrates the powerful culture of ballet accompaniments in its notable oboe solo and skill for the dancer of Odette to perform consistent arabesques. The prominence of these musical motifs sums up the poignant breadth of classical music attached to opera and ballet.

Opera and ballet are the antithesis of a dying art, as portrayed by their relevance to survive over millennia. The earliest surviving opera score that has survived to present day is Peri’s Euridice from 1600, while 7 years later Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was composed which is still performed regularly now. Composer and Professor Shirley J Thompson OBE said in a 2019 interview that her aim in writing her scores is to assure it reaches “a broad audience”: her close scoring of the ballet Push caused it to tour 45 countries over 10 years. Her work (described by the Guardian as for “the present and the future”) demonstrates that opera and ballet scores do not have to decline due to any concept of elitism, but rather that contemporary interaction with these extremely powerful art forms can bring about questions of gender inequality, postcolonial studies and global collaboration. Opera and ballet not only honour the past, but these undying thematic tropes covering death, suffering and love remain pertinent in modern day in their intrinsically striking journeys for audiences.

“Chalamet has so blindingly failed […] to recognise the intersectionality of all art forms”

Both ballet and opera demonstrate the importance of art to move people with human connection and creation – opera singer Pavarotti declared that “I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent, and this is what I’ve devoted my life to”. In a world in which all art is underfunded, threatened by technology and yet so vital to the human experience, where Chalamet has so blindingly failed in this interview is to recognise the intersectionality of all art forms and the current need for artists to support other crafts rather than to create division.

Chalamet instead could have responded to the topic of “12 second attention spans” that McConaughey brought up with the hope that all art forms are valued for the extreme skill and craft which should deserve engagement. In this response, he wouldn’t have initiated almost one million people engaging in debates online as to whether he envies opera singers’ ability to sing skilfully and in key in comparison to his own renditions in Wonka and his Bob Dylan biopic!