Misty Copeland, former principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, performed at the 2026 Oscars amid a heated controversy involving Timothée Chalamet and the ballet and opera communities.
This appearance was Copeland’s first major performance since her retirement from ABT in October 2025. She had undergone hip replacement surgery only two months prior, deepening the significance of her return to the stage.
Copeland’s performance demonstrated the vitality of ballet, starkly contrasting with Timothée Chalamet’s critiques of the art form. His comments in an interview with actor Matthew McConaughey ignited a cultural debate on the significance of the arts in modern entertainment.
Chalamet said, “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.”
His remarks led to nearly immediate waves of criticism from both communities, with significant backlash on social media. Chalamet received a direct response from Copeland, who said in an interview, “There’s a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years.”
She added that all art forms were important and should not be compared, saying, “He wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet in their relevance in that medium.”
Soon after, several renowned ballet and opera companies responded to his comment. The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House and the English National Ballet posted attendance statistics on their Instagram accounts, assuring Chalamet that they were “not only alive and well, but thriving.”
Likewise, organizations began offering ticket perks as a humorous yet profitable response to his remarks.
Seattle Opera suggested that spectators use the code “TIMOTHEE” for a 14% discount, while Ballet Austin went as far as offering free seats to anyone named Timothée, Timothee or Timothy who was coming to see their show, Marie Antoinette.
However, not everyone responded with humor. Some industry observers sided with Chalamet, arguing that ballet is indeed a dying art. For instance, former ballerina and current pop artist Adéla said in an interview with TMZ that she thought Timothée’s comment exposed the “sad” truth of ballet’s decline in popularity.
Others have pushed back, highlighting the continuation of ballet’s success. Tamara Rojo, artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet, responded to the controversy by saying, “We know who we are … we know what we represent and we know the state of our organizations and our industries and the place they hold in humanity.”
A few ballet insiders remained indifferent yet still commented that Chalamet’s remarks were simply insensitive given his family history with the New York City Ballet. Timothée’s remarks came across as inconsiderate since his mother, sister, and grandmother had all once trained with or danced for the organization.
When Chalamet sparked controversy and reignited the debate over traditional art’s relevance in modern entertainment, Copeland’s Oscar performance reminded the public of ballet’s endurance. She illustrated that despite criticism, ballet continues to assert its cultural presence and refuses to fade from public view.
