Ashley Bouder and Igor Zelensky Perform in Vail

[ballet205]

Zelensky is great!!!

[znarf541]

He's no Baryshnikov, but she sure is - she's amazing - a perfect combination of physique and technique....

[heybabuh]

nice whiff, bouder. ugh.

[jfmom]

I knew her from a few summer intensives at CPYB..she was a riot back when we were kids and she was a beautiful dancer then as well as now!

[misbnny]

ashley bouder is absolutely amazing!

[TigersPops]

I was at this performance. If you watch her live you'll see what all the hype is. Her face is amazingly relaxed and comfortable in everything she does. She's a joy to watch, well worth the 18 dollar lawn seats we get, she's just so natural. My wife and I are pros and aren't really fans of NYCB, but we left loving her. In Tharp's "That's Life" she cast her spell on everyone, and she could do no wrong from there on out. And the double fouette's didn't hurt though. lol. Quit bickering people.

[BernardProfitendieu]

I've seen her live many times ... maybe her face looks relaxed from the lawn seats in the next county, but from the orchestra she's emoting all over the place with her eyebrows ... again, not my cup of tea

[BernardProfitendieu]

and what kind of nutty co-dependent relationship have you developed that you both ended up not fans of NYCB?!? they're great!!

[DanseIsLyfe]

I met her one time, since I was doing the Nutcracker at SUNY Purchase. She has a facebook, you know.

[julianemahoney94]

What ballet is this? I know the music,but can't figure it out! Is it la corsaire? (I'm guessing by the costumes.)

[misbnny]

ashley bouder is my favorite dancer i think she is pretty close to perfect technique shes amazing!

[emwall315]

Her fouettes are perfect. Great form and no traveling! Wow, she's just amazing.

[krazysonn]

Ballet like so many things in life is a matter of personal taste. Some preferring the classical and polite , others responding more to the Modern, neo-classical and sometimes contortionist.

I have seen Ms Bouder perform at State theater many times.

Having been an avid ballet goer for 20 plus years, "Ok" is an insult to a dancer who by all accounts is in league with of all the great ballerinas of here generation.

[tightlygagged]

Laughable comment. Don't know much about ballet--or fouettes--or feet, do you, jgh? Bouder is not 'just ok', she is one of the three or four most brilliant young ballerinas in the world at the moment, and the preeminent young Balanchine virtuoso ballerina, period. Get some background before you criticize dazzling technicians. it's embarrassing for you. LOL

[jgh37]

Typical reply coming from that part of the world. There is a world out there including Rusia ((Mariinksy, Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky and their superstars), France with their super ballet company and the Royal Ballet, all of them with dancers far superior than anyone you could ever produce (including the old-wordly refinement and class that you cannot buy). Now, that little dancer is still 'just ok' whatever your opinion.

[tightlygagged]

What YOU cannot buy, imbecile, is a brain. Your pathetic misspellings, syntactical blunders, and ignorance are typical of nothing except morons--and you obviously know nothing of ballet. Can't even spell Maryinsky or figure out the NAME of the Paris Opera Ballet, can you? Do us a favor: kill yourself and stop taking up space, please.

[jgh37]

Oh please!! do me a favour you silly ignoramus, do hang onto whatever mediocre you've got out there, I still deem this performance to be just 'ok'. As far as misspellings is concerned.. yes! it was a typing mistake but Mariinsky spells exactly that way...What is this? a spelling lecture coming from the US?. Now thats funny

[jgh37]

By the way... it is 'favour' not 'favor' Do visit us in the UK...we might teach you one thing or two. On another note I'm sure I've been to the Palais Garnier and to the Opera Bastille a few more times than you probably have...I've worked there in fact, so pls don't try to teach me what the company is called...

[BernardProfitendieu]

only an uneducated imbecile wouldn't realize that there are both American standard spelling and British standard spelling (and btw, Americans standardized their spelling long before the English did!)

we have a word for you in France: poseur

[BernardProfitendieu]

you are an educated imbecile then? I don't see the difference.

You've mistaken being what the English call "mannered" with being well-mannered. Poseurs always make that mistake - it makes them easy to spot.

[BernardProfitendieu]

you've told the world more about yourself with that comment than you realize!

ahahahaha!

[jgh37]

My fault to have replied to tightlygagged. I must admit I should have done a bit more research about this user. Judging from his saved favourites on You Tube it transpires he has the artistic sensibility of a sheepin particular the 'Boot Appreciation' videololno doubt he knows about 'feet' more than I do. I do encourage readers to visit his channel to see how valid his remarks on my comments might be.

[jgh37]

Either Zelensky reached his sell-by date or he was very tired that evening. This is not the Zelensky of incredible speed and amazing elevations, just a pale shadow of excellent technique. Safe and mediocre performance. As for the ballerina she's ... just ok.

[kdub10009]

Ashley Bouder "just okay"??? What rock have you been living under? She's one of the best - if not THE best - young ballerinas in the world today, period.  Critics and fans around the world are united in this.

[jgh37]

Under the rock called 'classical ballet' (ie Mariinksy, Bolshoi, Paris Opera, Covent Garden). That ballerina is just ok compared to Lunkina, Vishneva, Lacarra, Nunez, but I'm not going to bother naming them as you've probably never heard of them. What critics say she's the best?....certainly not me.

[BernardProfitendieu]

Alastair MacCauley NYT, for one

he slams NYCB left and right, but holds her up for special praise ...

she's not my cup of tea - she dances with her eyebrows too much - Balanchine hated that

[kdub10009]

Well there are very few critics, MacCauley included, who do not greatly admire Ms. Bouder. Same goes for most balletomanes. She's quite amazing and is gaining an international reputation. Also, just for the record, MacCauley doesn't always 'slam' NYCB left and right; in fact, overall he praises them more than the opposite. In his wrapup of last season he declared the company at a new high point and praised several dancers beyond Bouder. Not so bad considering he's a British transplant.

[BernardProfitendieu]

I couldn't care less if she's gaining an "international reputation" (oooh! someone in Canada recognized her at a mall?)

and you need to read more carefully if you think he praises NYCB more than slams them - you won't hear unalloyed praise come from him until the mediocrity known as Peter Martins is fired

and what does being a British transplant have to do with anything?

you seem like sort of a hick -- was that the impression you were going for?

end of discussion

[leoninsf]

Reading your comment, I can't help but wonder if you were Mr.B himself. It is quite alright if you don't like certain dancers, it would be a total disaster if we and all people in this world like and dislike the same things, wouldn't it? Even Mr.B didn't know what he liked or dislike, sometimes Mr. B would change certain steps of his own choreography to suit any particular dancers. I think Mr. B would hate people who acted like they know him better than Mr. B himself

[TubeUself]

Thanks for this. I wish there were more than just the coda. I love him, am nuts about her, and what a treat to get them together!