Anna Pavlova, a well-known ballerina https://www.biography.com/artists/anna-pavlova
Anna Pavlova was one the most well-known ballerina from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. To this day, Pavlova is known for her role in The Dying Swan and was the first ballerina to tour around the world, including performances in Australia, South America, Mexico, and India. What made Pavlova stand out so much from other ballet dancers was her ability to inspire other people to start dancing ballet. It is impressive to see how inspirational and impactful her dance was to the audience. Pavlova’s style of ballet was known to be elusive and powerful. Not only that, but her style of ballet was also really inclusive of different cultures around the world. She did a lot of ethnic dances that would be inspired by other countries such as Mexico, Russia, and Poland. The inclusivity attracted more attention when she was on tour, but it has also inspired her a lot. She learned a lot of new techniques when traveling and it helped her grow as a ballet dancer. Anna Pavlova became one of the most well-known ballerinas through her biographical journey, extraordinary ballet career, and three captivating facts that helped her grow in the ballet realm.
Biological Information
Anna Pavlova as a child https://www.myretrospect.com/stories/anna-pavlova/
On February 12, 1881, Anna Pavlova was born in the Preobrazhensky Regiment Hospital, which was located in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. Pavlova was born as a premature child and would often feel ill. She was soon sent to the Ligovo village to be under her grandmother’s care. In 1890, Pavlova first took an interest in the art of ballet after her mother took her to see Marius Petipa’s original production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Imperial Maryinsky Theater. At the age of nine, Pavlova’s mother brought her to audition for the Imperial Ballet School. Because she was born as a premature child and was ill often, she was rejected for her ill appearance. However, she tried again at the age of ten and was accepted. During her earlier years at Imperial Ballet School, it was really tough for her. However, she never felt discouraged and took the extra effort to practice more. Pavlova would take extra lessons from Pavel Gerdt, Nikolai Legat, Christian Johansoon, and more. Her hard work paid off when she graduated in 1899 and was chosen to enter a ranking at Imperial Ballet School as corps de ballet. Pavlova officially debuted at the Mariinsky Theatre in Pavel Gerdt's Les Dryades prétendues and was recognized for her extraordinary ability to dance.
Career Highlight
Anna Pavlova during the Dying Swan https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw251012/Anna-Pavlova-in-The-Dying-Swan
Anna Pavlova was active in her career from 1899 to 1931. In the beginning, the public was shocked by Pavlova’s style of dance as she frequently danced with bent knees, poor turnout, and incorrect port de bras and tours; however, it was brought back to time and referred to the romantic ballet. She was known to always push her limits and continue dancing despite her injuries or the consequences of dangerous moves. Pavlova danced for various well-known performances such as La Camargo, Le Roi Candaule, Marcobomba, and The Sleeping Beauty. One of her most well-known performances was The Dying Swan, and it helped her gain recognition and further advance in her career. It did not last long when Pavlova joined the Ballet Russes for one season and decided to leave to form her own company; which mainly consisted of English girls. With her own company, she was given the opportunity to tour around the world and learn about many different cultural dances. Learning and performing different styles of dances also made her very inclusive of other cultures and helped her expand her techniques. It was a groundbreaking moment as her dance became an inspiration for the younger generations to learn ballet.
Three Interesting Facts
Anna Pavlova showering her love for animals https://www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/23585264259/in/photostream/
The first interesting fact about Anna Pavlova’s personal life is that she was secretly married to her manager, Victor Dandré. Pavlova and Dandré met in 1904 and apparently got married in 1914. However, there are many occasions where Pavlova made a remark that she would never get married. Some of Pavlova’s associates claimed that their marriage took place in New York in 1914, but there was no marriage certificate or evidence found supporting that claim. After Pavlova’s, an English judge rejected Dandré’s claim that they were legally pronounced as husband and wife. Another interesting fact about Pavlova’s personal life is that she adopted fifteen girls into a home she purchased at Saint-Cloud. Pavlova never had kids of her own but she was willing to adopt girls and support them through the funds she earned from performances and donations made from Camp Fire Girls of America. A third interesting fact about her personal life is that Pavlova is known for being an animal lover. There are so many photographic portraits of her with her pets. Despite adopting fifteen girls and always touring around the world, Pavlova had many pets such as various dogs, many species of birds, swans, and a Siamese cat.
Conclusion
Anna Pavlova's ballet dress is stored in the Museum of London https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-56604473
On January 23, 1931, Anna Pavlova passed away. Since she was traveling from Paris to The Hague, Pavlova’s health has been significantly worsened through time. She was diagnosed with pneumonia; however, she refused any operation because it could impact her ability to dance. To this day Pavlova is still recognized for her role in The Dying Swan and her ability to influence so many young individuals to start dancing ballet. She was an inspiration to well-known artists such as Federick Ashton, John Lavery, Jarabe Tapatio, and more. I chose to research Anna Pavlova because of her style of art and how powerful her influence was to so many people. Being culturally inclusive also attracted many people's attention in watching her dance and seeing what new techniques she had to offer. Despite no longer being here, Pavlova is still present in the 21st century as her inspiration and art are being shared with more and more people. She still appears in modern works of art such as Rosaio Ferre’s novel, Flight of the Swan, and the fourth episode of Mr. Selfridgem, a British series. Anna Pavlova and her dancing abilities will forever be remembered as a legacy in the art of Ballet.
Videos of Anna Pavlova's Ionic Moments
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Anna Pavlova's iconic performance in The Dying Swan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkFSBkl9mmo
Anna Pavlova was praised and recognized for her techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLHzvmfVp50
Aside from dancing, Anna Pavlova spent a lot of time with her pets at home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIb5VlEp1MA
References
Allman, B. (2007). Dance of the swan: A Story about Anna Pavlova. Lerner Publishing Group.
Anna Pavlova - Dying swan and the making of her only film. (2022, October 28). Tamino Autographs. https://www.taminoautographs.com/blogs/autograph-blog/anna-pavlova
Cengage. (n.d.). Pavlova, anna (1881–1931). Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pavlova-anna-1881-1931
Fisher, J. (2012). The swan brand: Reframing the legacy of Anna Pavlova. Dance Research Journal, 44(1), 51-67.
Teeuwissen, J. (2020, July 8). Four minutes a dying swan: Anna Pavlova and Becoming the Symbol of the New Russian ballet. Detroit Opera. https://detroitopera.org/four-minutes-a-dying-swan-anna-pavlova-and-becoming-the-symbol-of-the-new-russian-ballet/
Walker, K. Sorley (2023, February 8). anna pavlova. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Pavlova
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Anna pavlova. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova
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