Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux - Ashley Bouder, Semyon Chudin

Choreography: George Balanchine

[@melissaanderson9183]

Amazing Ashley. My heart skipped a beat when she flew in the air in full force for him to catch her.

[@mikiohirata9627]

He almost dropped her on 2nd jump.

[@islandhorsetaker]

I love how Ashley Bouder completely embodies the Balanchine style!

[@insaelliott1318]

Boulder dances this with joy, confidence and femininity. She's just perfect.

[@dharmaofdog7676]

Her foot movements express an Inseparability with Time, Space & Matter. Her precision truly takes my breath away. I couldn't help but notice this in a NYCB's Production of The Nutcracker dancing "Dewdrop". She was not unlike watching a Hummingbird and you're trying to catch the shift in wings - it truly was something to behold.

[@steve-o5600]

Both Ashley and Tiler Peck amaze in this piece.

[@joannsjoberg3323]

Always proud of my niece Ashley 💖💖💖

[@susanasneider6560]

Virtuosismo ,elegancia definen a estos bailarines.Soy seguidora fiel del arte de Semyon Chudin ,dueño de un pié muy pocas veces visto.❤❤❤❤❤

[@philzmusic8098]

Great entrance of Ashley Brouder in the third section: "Here I am!" I never tire of this PDD. I've watched Tiler Peck and Marianela Nuñez dance it; each brings something different to the part and I love all three. It's clear they love dancing it.

[@genlyai5055]

They are all excellent in it. Did you ever see Merrill Ashley or Kyra Nichols in this role? They were magnificent.

[@philzmusic8098]

Unfortunately no.@@genlyai5055

[@gothamette]

6:23, look at the control as she brings her right leg down. Astounding.

[@victorimpaglione8040]

How beautiful are those❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ dancers magnificent pas de deux!!!!!

[@abbeycab]

Ashley Bouder is fantastic! I wish there were more videos of her to watch.

[@renaerufus8707]

Boulder has such a graceful intensity about her! Wow!

[@levondelite4072]

There you go! That was it . . . . . that is HOW IT’S DONE ! ! Way to go Chudin! Way to go Ashley! The audience is supposed to be on the edge of their seats wondering if the dancer is going to make it. We know how challenging it is, we know it is challenging the dancers, and it is exhilarating to see the dancers push themselves to their limits. I don’t know if Chudin agrees, but I’m glad the conductor didn’t slow down the music for him . . . . . . although, maybe he should have held off on that last note for Chudin to finish the tour on his knee.

[@philzmusic8098]

It sounded like pre-recorded music to me. Hence the mis-timing.

[@miazhong53]

Yikes those fish dives! Ashley has remarkable elevation, that might have come as a surprise to Semyon Chudin in that split second. Actually it looks like he has to adapt to partnering an NYCB dancer on every little detail, from their bigger forth to the dramatic sensibility to music.

[@MsAvidWriter]

The first male variation and the first female variation were absolutely stunning: amazing technique and musicality making it a joy to watch and experience. I really feel the soul from this dancing.

[@beckyhp7776]

She is just fantastic!

[@petetotaro9510]

Astronomical! One of the most smoothest and beautiful ballets thyme eyes did ever see! Why is it always that the best ballets are always across the globe? No wonder the crowd is always full to capacity, watching such magic! If one was to take his/her last breathe while watching this, the stairway to Heaven will be ready to bring them up is a certainty!

[@victorimpaglione8040]

Shi Is adorabile.❤❤❤

[@holdensupreme9436]

Miss Boulder is WONDERFUL but I still reserve a piece of my heart for Miss McBride! ❤

[@pedinurse1]

Well of course. Whenever McBride was on stage she just shined. The moment she entered the stage, all eyes were on her.

[@minissa2009]

First time I've seen Bouder, and holy cow! Not only a great technician but a great artist. Her phrasing is just yummy and her technique and Balanchine style (plus her style within the Balanchine style, if that makes sense) are incredible. I've seen Chudin dance so much with Smirnova (and that's a nice partnership) that I may feel the stylistic mismatch a bit more than some. Still, gorgeous feet, gorgeous elevation, gorgeous placement. The Balanchine aesthetic is just a little challenging to capture if you've trained in Vaganova. Thanks for posting!

[@holdensupreme9436]

I KNOW, RIGHT!!!!!!!

[@pedinurse1]

Her early ballet training was in a barn turn studio!!!!

[@georginareid3828]

But with an iconic Teacher …. Let us not forget !!! I love this dancer , so exciting !,

[@RSmith-bf2cl]

For those commenting about the fish dives. Yes they were a bit off but the original Balanchine choreography actually called for straight legs (standing up) into the dive where the ballerina's nose is close to the floor. The first one actually wasn't too bad and I appreciate the attempt to be true to the original choreography.

[@minissa2009]

Thank you! I was beginning to think I was the only person in the universe who remembered that catch not being a traditional fish dive, which is how most Russian dancers seem to do it.I think you see the problem more when he's setting her down in arabesque than on the actual catch.

[@1.1_1.1]

I don’t think that was the case. It’s a gig, so they probably barely rehearsed it, and that type of fish dive is ~very~ hard.

[@madelinejohnstone9950]

Yes, my mother described watching Suzanne Farrell perform this Coda and said it was so exciting to watch because Farrell jumped from far away and went for it every time way before her partner was ready to catch. The original version is very hard but oh so exciting and impressive when done with well-rehearsed/familiar partners.

[@austinacmes]

Ashley Boulder fully embodies an American ballerina - power, control, sharpness and excitement. I’m not sure if that’s what Mr. Balanchine set out to be, but nowadays Balanchine style certainly gets closer to modern style that excites certain crowd. To me, the highest achievement in Balanchine style is extremely isolation of upper body (which remains soft and graceful and all lines of the body and eyes and facial expression) and legs and feet. Meaning they are still sharp and quick but the upper body is dancing. At 6:25, her neck line is broken, but it’s nuances like that what makes a performance a little more exciting and joyful to the eyes.

[@delgadolau]

wonderfull danceurs and such hurry Maestro....

[@Jules-ix9ih]

I like this interpretation very much. Ashley may not be as technically gifted as some, but I like the very relaxed style, especially the arms. Also there is something warm and charming the way she interacts with Semyon and her expressions. He is extremely gifted, a magnificent dancer.

[@victorimpaglione8040]

They are the best from all

[@AndTheWestBegins]

Thanks for uploading this!!

[@laurafreedman8770]

Serotonin flooding visual .... gorgeous

[@erikahansen6959]

She just oozes confidence in this. :)

[@lazarocedeno5270]

Bravo. Divine.

[@avesraggiana]

Was the conductor trying to kill Chudin in his variation? Fantastic job on his part keeping with the diabolical tempo. Further, I don’t think I’ve seen more beautiful feet on a man in my entire life.

[@TheRevengeOfPanchoVilla]

Aves Raggiana Semyon wants that tempo. The Conductor talks with the choreographer and dancers

[@craigwilliams1573]

He started late and had trouble getting on top of the music! Yes it was fast but ok tempo

[@garotadagavea]

Aves Raggiana wanna see insane tempo with devilish choreography? Check this out. Mr. B himself directed this one, in 1978. And NOBODY, to this day, can reproduce. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipe5nmmBmrifY9U

[@bailarino20]

@maseratic boychik exactly!!! Very well said ! It's Balanchine after all !

[@brooklynmack4503]

Definitely a bit too brisk on the tempo

[@sashamanster]

Thank you very much for posting this! Someone else posted it a while back, but somehow the sound wasn't synchronized correctly with the video so it looked like she was always off the music. So glad to see how it looks on tempo! Although I spoke a little too soon - he's great but behind the music! Lol, maybe that's why last time I thought she was at fault, because the music was synchronized just a little behind the video so he finished on the beat but she finished her variation early.

[@user-mv9tt4st9k]

Maybe the tempo is a little slow? 😉

[@victorimpaglione8040]

Hi Is the mustbrillante and perfect dancer i ever see

[@markbeck8384]

The very end was a little off; but OMG what wonderful dancing from both of them!!! I love this music & choreography; but they really made the most of it.

[@gianmariogaia9330]

Does Chudin benefit from a spell? Did a fairy fall in love with him? His perfect and profound interpretation has no terms of comparison. Is it a dream? A spell? A hologram? And Ashley? Are you also under the influence of magic? A butterfly who became a woman or a woman who became a butterfly?

[@toeknee1965]

she rocks

[@SalGersGirl]

GORGEOUS!!

[@timvanderstraeten2555]

Her variation, I hope the audio didn’t match. Never seen such a perfection dancing completely threw her music. Can’t even count it out

[@tims4966]

I read comments here and there that NYCB dancers look like robots for this PDD. Come on, look at Ashley! You can see the joy and the love for this dance.

[@nan2kaye]

Too Fabulous!

[@kellymac2404]

Ashley Bouder awesomeness

[@losenti926]

More impressed about his technique actually

[@avesraggiana]

Show ‘em how it’s done, Ashley Bouder.

[@rossi7056]

yezzzzzz

[@rah938]

You can see Ashley reveal character, tell a story, (at least attempt to) engage Chudin in a relationship throughout. The loving look she gives him @1:19 took my breath away. A consummate artist!

[@MrQbenDanny]

BRAVO! BRAVISSIMO!!! SUPER, SUPERB, SUBLIME!!!! BALANCHINE CHEERS WITH EVERY STEP!!!

[@simaraft7373]

For the first time I disagree with you! First, Chudin doesn't quite jive with her. Second, I didn't like her rubatos in the presto section. Too many rubatos become predictable and it defeats the purpose. Rubato has to come as a surprise. Finally, weird fish jumps! Are those the original Balanchine? I'm sure you know!

[@MrQbenDanny]

@simaraft7373 LOL!!! You have exposed me, Sima RAFT!! I'm not perfect, THERE I SAID IT!!! But I am compassionate. Yes, there is a laundry list of miscues, tempos, dynamics, phrasing, and choreography. But being that this was a gala performance, everything goes. First, it didn't help there was a schizophrenic conductor with no medication at the podium. Poor Chudin!! The variation tempo rhythms were outrageously fast, and syrupy slowed for Bouder, showing off, which is absolutely acceptable in a gala. My hunch is they had limited rehearsal, and it showed. No matter, they highlighted their natural gifts for an enthusiastic audience to cause the delirium consistent with the gala menu. In closing, The fishdives were replaced by the vintage famous "Brooklyn Coney Island Cannonball" acrobat dives for extra excitement!!! (For the perfect interpretation of the Tchaikovsky Pás de deux, go to Melissa HAYDEN, and the magical GELSEY KIRKLAND, who I saw live but I don't think KZbin has her in it...) Cheers 🍻.

[@simaraft7373]

@@MrQbenDanny Thank you I needed your feedback! I knew you could explain it. I'm pretty sure Gelsey and Misha's on KZbin. You saw it live you lucky lucky thing. Also Merrill's I believe is on KZbin. Did I tell you Melissa was my first ballet teacher? Unfortunately only shortly before she left NY. In fact, I have a question. I remember Melissa teaching chasse pas de bourre glissade assemble. A friend former NYCB says impossible! It's always tombe pas de bourre etc. what do you say?

[@simaraft7373]

Fish dives I meant. Stupid autocorrect!

[@MrQbenDanny]

@simaraft7373 Melissa is correct. Tombé pas de bouree is when you fall to the side without a chassé which means to slide. The tombé (without chassé) can usually be from a 5th, tendu derriere, devant, or from coud de pied( DonQ opening, although there's a chassé to get in place for it. They are set up steps for the big combinations. A chassé tombé is a setup for glissade assemble. They are first cousin steps nobody in the audience notices but play an important role in the execution of the great applause steps like jumping and pirouettes. James in LA Sylphide Variations is the perfect example for highlighting this question. Also: Bluebird Don Quijote pas de deux opening Anything in Harald Landers ETUDES Theme and Variations You know the rest.. Give your NYCB friend a good spanking, sweetie.

[@kathymyers7279]

I wish Balanchine could see Bouder.

[@saganza5619]

that's all I was thinking watching this

[@dharmaofdog7676]

Light as air softly spinning sugar.

[@lilibermlharrington]

She is the best I have ever seen (I saw her live dancing even better than this). Maybe is my phone but the music was clearly off (they were always a step behind so I do think is the messed up recording). She does all how it should be done. Spotting front, jumping on point, fast and balance. The partnering seemed unrehearsed and it shows in the fish dives

[@kimhaas7586]

Liza Harrington At least he didn’t drop her.

[@Patrick22557]

stunning

[@sauerkraut6598]

Holy sissone!!!! OMG

[@pierfrancescopaolini5512]

Fantastici👏

[@najopatrin2284]

beautiful ballet act on stage in New-York

[@user-ru8vy1uz7c]

Bravo bravo bravo bravo

[@rossi7056]

Bless them both-- Chudin does seem to miss the point with the Balanchine qualities of attack and boisterous consumption of space, but you can, I think, tell in his face he's doing his best. He's not dummy and aware he's late, behind the music. And Ashley, she just works to shine bright enough for the two of them and has fun with what it is for them in that moment (although there's one moment in her second variation I think where then port de bras of her attitude whacks (LOL, work!) gets a bit behind her head). Kudos to them for staying professional on stage in spite of it all !

[@rossi7056]

But her piqué turns with developpé were sharp and SO sublime !!! Her balances en pointe are always on point. Also let's not overlook that TOTALLY DELICIOUS PORT DE BRAS she offered @6:32. She worked that dance, let there be no doubt.

[@rossi7056]

But do you think something miffed her at the end of her first solo @6:58 ? She strikes the final note/pose and then... drops her arms-- they ricochet off her body --as if to say, "dang!"

[@dilara954]

fire and ice

[@roseichitsuyousa936]

crazy tempo for male variation !

[@lv7118]

Balanchine is like the ballet version of ABBA....it's really dated but still fabulous.

[@vedyad8960]

Yo buscando un comentario en español 😅 #hermoso

[@caylaprima5354]

this skirt needs to be shorter. When Ashley does the step ups to double pirouettes...she pulls the passe up higher and the audience can not see that important nuance.

[@lacouerfairy]

Yikes! Those fish dives were a little off.

[@arielrose898]

that’s what happens when the man doesn’t go deep enough in his plie/deep squat for a partnered catch, or anything for that matter.

[@user-lz9vg9xz8y]

I know! I guess he's so used to working with Russian ballerinas he can't handle Ashley's force XD

[@arielrose898]

That’s why it’s called fish dive, the man goes into a fish position with the back leg in a deep plie and the front one straight. Not two almost straight legs. He’s still one of my favorite dancers in the world. This style is just alien for him.

[@elizabethdonegan1627]

Ella Blake lol! Exactly!

[@radiantonion8615]

looks like they just needed more rehearsal time on those.

[@frankstein9982]

there's another Bouder gala performance of this piece with Gonzalo Garcia on KZbin which is a lot better.

[@sweetaliena]

They are great individually. Semyon is a good partner but they have no chemistry whatsoever.

[@StacyA1000]

I agree! It's always so disappointing when there is no chemistry. And it's so awesome when the chemistry is there !

[@StacyA1000]

I'm always saying, show me the passion !

[@amandamusa2677]

sweetaliena I know I'm late to the party but also I hate when she goes for the fish dives, he doesn't catch her correctly! He puts his arm over her leg, rather than under!

[@sweetaliena]

S Bagci, yes it's very disappointing. If the chemistry and passion was there between the two, it would have been one of the best Tchai pdd.

[@sweetaliena]

amanda musa, I haven't noticed. That's very weird and a little dangerous I might add.

[@rossi7056]

Does no one else think that this music is far too slow a) for a Balanchine work and b) for both of the dancers ?

[@avesraggiana]

Rossi Lamont Walter. Your ears are hearing correctly. It’s that damn conductor, “Vaganova-ising" the music and playing it too damn slowly. At least the dancers are listening to the music.

[@frankstein9982]

except in Chudin's variation, when the conductor is going so fast the dancer can't keep up. Overall it's frankly a bad performance, and the stupid clapping audience makes it only worse.

[@kimhaas7586]

Rossi Lamont Walter Yes. Especially for the adagio. It dragged a bit.

[@genlyai5055]

@@frankstein9982 You must not get out at all.

[@annaliese9453]

When NYC ballet and Bolshoi clash together

[@chballet7437]

Is this a part of swan lake?

[@discontinuedpleasegoaway]

ch Ballet this was the original music for the black swan pas de Deux, but it was rewritten. Now it's just the Tchaikovsky pad de Deux.

[@ceballosangel1604]

Wich ballet is this pdd from?

[@philipcondenzio1035]

It’s not “from” a ballet, it’s a pas de deux choreographed by George Balanchine.

[@pedinurse1]

Ok who chose that dress for her, the skirt should be more floaty than this, the skirt is too narrow, but they are amazing

[@radiantonion8615]

quite fast for Mr. Chudin

[@Dima.Demidov]

Balanchine isn't for Semyon and visa verse :) Ashley's brilliant as she always is.

[@thefamilyname1]

Tchaikovsky what?... Pas de duex doesn't really help seeing as how there are a lot of pas de duex done by Tchaikovsky. I just want to know how to look up the music. Help?

[@gfhkkhfg6905]

Swan Lake Op. 20 No.20 (sometimes its No. 19b) Act III: Pas de deux. It might not be in some albums because it was not part of the original score. Tchaikovsky hastily composed it after the completion of the score for Sobeshchanskaya as per her request for new choreography for the Act III pas de deux. She asked Petipa for new choreography and Petipa set a new pas de deux for her to Minkus’ music. Tchaikovsky was angered by this and composed a completely new grand pas de deux for her to match Petipa’s choreography. It was believed to be lost as it was never part of the original score but it was found in the Bolshoi archives in 1953. Balanchine caught wind of this and sought permission to use it for this pas de deux.

[@thefamilyname1]

@@gfhkkhfg6905 Thank you, and especially for the history of it. It was extremely interesting

[@genlyai5055]

This is the only ballet which goes by the name 'Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.' the pas de deux from his full length ballets are always referred to with the info about the act/characters.

[@mwpipp85]

Pas de deux is totally off the music. So is the male variation. Not the conductors fault. In fact until her variation I thought the track wasn’t synced but they catch up in the coda.

[@alohachik]

the audience was the most disappointing about this performance. quit the clapping, sheesh!

[@kathymyers7279]

Yes! HOW DARE THEY actually make an EFFORT to give back some of the hundred and ten percent of the wonder and joy the artists are giving? So low class. Have you EVER been in any kind if a performing situation? YOU have NO IDEA apparently how energizing is to actually feel the energy and LOVE THAT an AWAKENED AND APRECIATIVE audience gives. Blow it out your rear end. Some will never ever get to actually.see a performance like this in a life time. "Don't save. There's ONLY NOW" Balanchine.

[@PlasmicPenny]

That's one of my favorites things about going to the ballet though. You can clap whenever you want when you see something stunning.

[@leonidasgoldman6115]

Чудин поражает божественной статью. Девочка- никакая, по сравнению с русскими балеринами.

[@robrivax]

From the beginning steps, both dancers had competing sensibilities, both had their strengths, and both had their weaknesses, but those fish dives at the end (granted not easy) had competing impulses and the ballet choreography was not accomplished, too bad.

[@kabardinka1]

The tempo is way too fast for the variations.

[@kerrytakashi12]

The tempo is correct.

[@genlyai5055]

NOPE.

[@brendadufaur37]

This bowing a million times within a pas de deux is horrible. A complete sacrilidge. Sheer insanity. It's like a Shakespearean actor stopping in the middle of a sollioqy and bowing for applause.

[@krissywelch3446]

This conductor should have been FIRED!

[@Dima.Demidov]

What for?

[@jorgejure7673]

What a crazy speedy tempo for the male variation! It sounds like a joke! A shame!

[@evgeny9965]

Who the hell is conducting is he in some kind of race.

[@frankvitale5954]

Nope. Way too slow. Way too grand. He's late can't even keep up with the slow music. No Energy. Not idiomatic Balanchine.