Spielberg defends ballet, opera after Chalamet snub

At a recent keynote panel, director Spielberg drew cheers when he invoked the performing arts forms that Chalamet seemed to dismiss in a recent appearance. Photo: AP

Legendary movie director Steven Spielberg defended enjoying the arts as a shared live experience, appearing to take aim at Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet's controversial remarks about ballet and opera.

The man behind Jaws and Saving Private Ryan told a South by Southwest audience in Austin, Texas that communal artistic experiences - from cinema to the opera house - must be preserved.