DANCERS ARE OFFENDED BY THE GROWING DISRESPECT FOR BALLET IN POP CULTURE
BY COCO CABANES PHOTO COURTESY OF COCO CABANES
A recent comment from movie star Timothée Chalamet sparked controversy throughout the arts. Chalamet states that ballet and opera are dying arts, saying, “nobody cares about this thing anymore.” These words sparked outrage in these communities for his complete disregard of the work artists put into their craft. However, Chalamet wasn’t completely wrong; ballet is a dying art, but not because its importance has diminished, but merely because new generations aren’t being taught respect and appreciation for it.
The disrespect isn’t just shown through Chalamet's comment, but through many aspects of our culture today. One example of this is in the fashion industry. Recently, there has been an uprising in what brands are calling “Ballet-Core.”
Popular clothing companies such as Urban Outfitters and Skims have released collections meant to resemble what they believe ballet looks like. These collections often contain many products with soft styles and light pink tones, such as shawls, legwarmers, and flats.
Many would think that this is great for ballet, and it is bringing attention to it in a way that younger adults are interested in, but the issue is that these collections portray ballet as simply an “aesthetic” rather than an appreciation for the dedication and true work that goes into dancers’ training. Another way companies are doing this is by not hiring actual professional dancers to advertise their ballet-inspired products.
Dancers are paid very little for the hours of extreme physical work they put into training properly. Hiring anyone but dancers to portray the admirable passion and grit that people in their community have is not only disrespectful but also inauthentic. Brands such as Anthropologie have found amazing ways to bring respect to the art correctly, such as collaborating with ballet companies like New York City Ballet, and making beautiful pieces based on their production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
Another example of this disrespect is Lululemon removing professional dancers and dance teachers from its “Sweat Collective,” a program where professional athletes and instructors can receive discounts on products. This means that Lululemon no longer recognizes dancers as legitimate and working athletes or artists. However, the company continues to profit from products such as their “Dance Studio Pants” and many other dance-inspired styles.
The reason so many people are angry at Chalamet’s aggressive comment is because of how much of the younger generation looks up to prominent figures like him. By disrespecting these arts when he is an artist himself, he is encouraging teens and young adults to do the same and take no interest in ballet or opera.
Ballet companies around the world snapped back by posting videos on social media of their sold-out audiences to show that dancers are still prevalent and supported. These art forms need the new generation to keep the spark alive in their communities.
