Actor Timothée Chalamet reportedly said opera and ballet are art forms that 'no one cares about' anymore during an interview promoting his film Marty Supreme. His comments have provoked swift rebuke from prominent individuals and opera and ballet companies worldwide, and some have suggested the furore may affect his chances of winning the top award at the Oscars ceremony. In response, Dance Australia suggested Chalamet's comments may prove unexpectedly useful to articulate why ballet continues to matter.
Queensland Ballet Artistic Director Ivan Gil-Ortega wrote of the challenges of honoring ballet's heritage while keeping it relevant. Former dancer-turned-critic Emma Sandall argued ballet has moved repeatedly in and out of fashion and always existed through patronage. The ballet community faces financial struggles, with The Australian Ballet's total live performances falling from 248 in 2023 to 200 in 2024, and attendance dropping from 305,364 to 225,771.
No one cares about opera and ballet anymore.
1 million loss in 2024, and Chair Richard Dammery wrote that without philanthropy, the Australian Ballet would be in a dire financial position. An analysis showed half of 150 surveyed American ballet companies were operating in a deficit in the 2023 financial year, and attendance levels for ballet and other live dance in the US almost halved between 2017 and 2022. Opera companies are vexed by how to remain loyal to artistic values while embracing market economics.
Research suggests opera companies should look for alternate revenue sources and overhaul traditional programming approaches. Opera Australia's forays into musical theatre previously allowed the company to grow income faster than expenditure, but programming Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard in 2024 coincided with a A$10 million operating loss and 23% drop in attendance. Former Opera Australia CEO Craig Hassall labelled the production as disastrous.
May prove unexpectedly useful [...] to articulate, once again, why the artform continues to matter.
Honouring the heritage of ballet while ensuring it remains alive and relevant for audiences today.