bobbi Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 On Ashley's second Aurora, I'm with Amanda: Wow! From debutante on Tuesday night to full-fledged Ballerina on Thursday. And it's not just balletomanes who are thrilled with her. You could hear the applause start to build even before she reached the fourth cavalier in the Rose Adagio. Her strength, authority and balance were so pronounced that the audience just started to clap before it was over, and clap they they did. Alexandra, could you please check with the NYCB press office on which is the right way to pronounce her name. Is the "ou" in Bouder pronounced as in "powder" or as the "u" in "tutor"? Since we will be talking about her for many years, I'd like to pronounce the name the way she prefers. By the way, Adam Hendrickson as Bluebird was terrific, and as mentioned by another poster, Carla Korbes makes a wonderfully aristocratic Countess; her shrug as she exits speaks volumes. And I do think I like Merrill Ashley's Carabosse the best: she really conveys anger/outrage (evil) as opposed to just hurt/annoyance, and Sleeping Beauty as a ballet is all about good triumphing over evil. The contrast with the benevolent Lilac Fairy should be very real. Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Bobbi - I'll triple check, but I think it's "Bow-der" (I used to think "bow" as in curtsey, but I think it's "bow" as in ribbon.) Link to comment
Michael Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Nailed-Nailed-Nailed that performance from Start to Finish. Even woke Damien up too, Damn-It, for a while at least. The look of confidence/triumph/even a little happy arrogance she flashed into the front of the orchestra during that balance at the end of the Rose Adagio, at the precise spot she had the trouble Tuesday, as the applause started to rain down from the Rings, was priceless. From promise to realization in 48 hours. We focus too much on debuts, Second Nights are usually better for everyone, I think Nichols even said this in her Ballet Review interview last Summer. Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Okay, it's time for my taxi story. A few years ago in Saratoga I shared a taxi with a young dancer, someone not yet on the NYCB roster. I introduced myself and asked her name. "Ashley BOder," she said. So Leigh is correct -- it's like the bow in a ribbon, or Bo as in Derek. Link to comment
Hans Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Everyone at SAB said "ow" as in "powder"...god knows why she didn't correct us :shrug: Link to comment
carbro Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 As someone whose name is frequently mucked up, I can say that, depending on the circumstance, at a certain point correcting becomes more tiresome :yawn: than the error is annoying :angry: . You just learn to respond to a variety of pronunciations and permutations. Forgive my twisted syntax. Link to comment
oberon Posted February 27, 2004 Author Share Posted February 27, 2004 All the dancers whom I have met refer to her as Bouder, as in "powder". If she used to be Bo (as in Bo Derek)-der she may have realized that the "powder" sound is far more elegant. I did see her name once spelt as "Boulder", like the Colorado town. A mistake, obviously. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Since we have conflicting ear-witness accounts, I'll ask the press people when the company is here next week. Link to comment
bobbi Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Thank you Leigh (and Farrell Fan) for letting me know the correct way to pronounce her name. If she can "get it right on stage," I feel I owe it to her as an audience member to at least get her name right. Link to comment
its the mom Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Ashley danced at CPYB. Everyone there refers to her as Ashley Bouder - as in powder, not Boder. Like Hans says, why wouldn't we have all been corrected? Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 That's what's confusing to me, ITM. I always heard Bouder with an ow at CPYB, but in NYC, I was corrected to Bouder with a long o. Let's see what the press agent says. Link to comment
oberon Posted February 28, 2004 Author Share Posted February 28, 2004 Anna Kisselgoff has written about the Bouder and Ansanelli Auroras, both of whom she rightfully praises. She does mention that Bouder went off pointe...twice...in the Rose Adagio. I only saw once. Some people feel Kisselgoff writes press releases for NYCB rather than reviews. How do other people in this forum view what the "professional critics" say? Do their reviews have weight? Would you go to see a piece/dancer that had been glowingly reviewed, and likewise would you skip something that got panned? Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 We had this discussion about reviews two weeks ago, complete with polls. Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 While eagerly awaiting word on the officially-sanctioned pronunciation of Bouder (hoping my hearing aid and I will be vindicated), I just want to say how much I agree with Carbro. I long ago stopped correcting people who mispronounce my last name, D'Angelo. The apostrophe is there instead of an i or an e, and has no sound of its own. Nevertheless, the great majority of Americans say "DeeAngelo." Often when I used to pronounce my name "Dangelo," I would be asked to spell it. When I did, the reply usually was, "Oh, you mean DeeAngelo." Link to comment
perky Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 I know where your coming from Farrell Fan, my last name Shaikh has been pronounced "Chic", "Shakhi", "Shiekk", and so many other variations I've lost count. My favorite one I heard at the drugstore awaiting an Rx being filled was "Mrs. Smackem"! Thanks to Bobbi for asking the correct pronounciation of Miss Bouder's name Link to comment
CalMia Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 ok, I think I can put an end to this pronunciation issue. Considering thefact that i have known Ashley and her family since she was about 7. Bouder is pronounced like 'powder',or 'louder'. I'm 100% sure of this. Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 FF and Carbro, I not only agree with you, I've had a version of your problem -- which is, well, people can pronounce it, but nobody can spell it -- The bank doesn't care, i don't care.... well, a little, it would be weird not to notice, but I don't really care. FF, your story is priceless.... rates a double d'oh.... Link to comment
AmandaNYC Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 Back to her performance in this post! My boyfriend, whose 2nd time at NYCB it was (first being a few weeks ago with Barocco, Flower Festival, Prodigal, and Slaughter), offered his own observation which I found so interesting and beautiful. He's an actor, so he approaches watching a performance from a different angle. At both performances he has attended I have learned so much from him! At intermission Thursday night, he said that during her vision scene, Bouder's dancing was like witnessing the act of creation at every moment. She transcended the choreography. On a personal note, I think I'll keep this boy. -amanda Link to comment
Alexandra Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Final word on pronunciation of Bowder from an NYCB spokesperson, who speaks ex cathedra on such matters: Bowder rhymes with Powder. Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I bow to the pronouncement on pronunciation. Thanks, Alexandra. Apologies to Bobbi and whomever else I may have led astray. Boo hoo. Link to comment
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