Pair of ballet shoes signed by Ashley Bouder, Principal Dancer of the New York City Ballet.

Ashley Bouder was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and began her ballet training at the age of six at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet with Marcia Dale Weary. After attending the 1999 Summer Program at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, she was invited by SAB to continue her training during the Winter Session. As a student, Ms. Bouder performed featured roles in Balanchine's DANCES CONCERTANTES and STARS AND STRIPES for the School of American Ballet's 2000 Annual Spring Workshop. Ms. Bouder was named an apprentice with New York City Ballet in June 2000 and became a member of the corps de ballet that October. She was promoted to the rank of Soloist in February 2004, and in January 2005, Ms. Bouder was promoted to Principal Dancer.

Since joining New York City Ballet, Ms. Bouder has performed featured roles in David Allan's REUNIONS; George Balanchine's APOLLO (Polyhymnia), BALLO DELLA REGINA, BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET (first movement), DIVERTIMENTO NO. 15, FIREBIRD, GEORGE BALANCHINE'S THE NUTCRACKER^TM (Sugarplum Fairy, Dewdrop, and Marzipan), HARLEQUINADE (Lead Alouette), "Emeralds" from JEWELS, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Butterfly), RAYMONDA VARIATIONS, SERENADE, LA SONNAMBULA, LA SOURCE, STARS AND STRIPES, SYMPHONY IN C (third movement), SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS, TSCHAIKOVSKY PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2, TSCHAIKOVSKY SUITE NO. 3, LA VALSE, VALSE-FANTAISIE, WESTERN SYMPHONY, and WHO CARES?; August Bournonville's FLOWER FESTIVAL IN GENZANO Pas de Deux; Peter Martins' BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO and THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (Princess Aurora and Diamond); Jerome Robbins' THE CONCERT, DANCES AT A GATHERING, THE FOUR SEASONS (Winter and Fall), THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, and INTERPLAY; Richard Tanner's ANCIENT AIRS AND DANCES; and Christopher Wheeldon's MERCURIAL MANOEUVRES. Ms. Bouder originated featured roles in Albert Evans' BROKEN PROMISE, Mr. Martins' VIVA VERDI and the NYCB premiere of OCTET, Susan Stroman's "The Blue Necklace" (Mabel) from DOUBLE FEATURE, Mr. Tanner's SOIRÉE, and Mr. Wheeldon's SHAMBARDS, and corps roles in Melissa Barak's TELEMANN OVERTURE SUITE IN E MINOR, Eliot Feld's ORGANON, the NYCB premiere of Mr. Martins' HALLELUJAH JUNCTION, and Mr. Wheeldon's VARIATIONS SÉRIEUSES.

In 2002, Ms. Bouder appeared in the nationally televised Live From Lincoln Center broadcast "New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography" on PBS, dancing in Mercurial Manoeuvres.

Ms. Bouder is a Mae L. Wien Award recipient for 2000 and is the Janice Levin Dancer Honoree for 2002-03.