All about Anna Pavlova

For fans of the ballet, Anna Pavlova is synonymous with the art form. Born in Russia in 1881, her short life was fiercely devoted to her art, and she became famous for being the first ever ballerina to tour the world. How cool is that!

Early Life

Born to unwed parents, Anna Pavlova’s fascination with ballet began at an early age, when her mother, Lyubov Feodorovna, took her to see a production of The Sleeping Beauty at the nearby Imperial Maryinsky Theatre. Pavlova was lit by the flames of artistry, and not long afterwards, her mother allowed her to audition for the Imperial Ballet School. Because she was only nine years-old and had what was described as a “gaunt” appearance, she was rejected.

A year later, however, things began to look up and the young, sparkly Anna Pavlova was at last accepted into the school, appearing on stage in A Fairy Tale soon afterwards. Pavlova had to work hard to reap rewards, for she was not naturally inclined to Classical ballet. She would return home with aching feet, throbbing ankles and her unusually long limbs didn’t work in tandem with her petite body. Christened by her classmates with nicknames such as, The Broom, Anna Pavlova found that to get where she wanted to be, she would have to be tireless in her dedication.

Pavlova graduated from the school at the age of 18 in 1899, and made her debut at the renowned Mariinsky Theatre not long later in a performance of The False Dryads. It was really this performance that sowed the seeds for her future success, as she cultivated high praise from the critics.

Style

Anna Pavlova developed a style that was in stark contrast to the strict academicism that prevailed at the time; she surprised and even alarmed audiences with her bent knees, as well as her bad turnout and misplaced tours. Still, she also attracted great praise from members of the public who saw that she was fresh, invigorating and current. She offered something different that was alive with a sort of fever that Russian audiences by and large welcomed. Pavlova went on to perform in ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, The Pharaoh’s Daughter and La Camargo whilst in Russia. Energetic, and performing with weak ankles, Anna Pavlova would occasionally stumble but not without grace.

The Dying Swan

Anna Pavlova is most famous for creating and developing the role of The Dying Swan. The ballet was put together in 1905, with Pavlova creating the entirely original solo role that was choreographed by Michel Fokine. She went on to perform it 4,000 times, her willingness to do so perhaps helped by the fact that it is a short ballet that lasts for just 4 minutes. The Dying Swan follows the last moments of a swan’s life, with Anna saying that she was inspired by the swans she had seen in the parks, as well as the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem, “The Dying Swan.”

England

Anna Pavlova left Russia for England in 1912, settling in London where she would spend the rest of her days. She lived in a house that was surrounded by a lake in which her pet swans swam, and which was used for a film about her life, Anna Pavlova. Pavlova’s creativity continued in London, and she played a huge hand in the development of British ballet, with the great Alicia Markova admitting that Pavlova was her biggest inspiration.

Anna Pavlova enjoyed her life of dancing and tranquillity in England, though she did travel the world to perform to new audiences too. She was introduced to the U.S. in 1914, and it was whilst touring in The Hague that she came down with pneumonia. Her illness brought with it a catch-22 situation; she was told that her grave condition required surgery, but she would not be able to dance ever again if went through with the operation. Staunchly insisting that she would rather be dead than unable to dance, Anna Pavlova refused surgery and died of pleurisy just three weeks before her 50th birthday.

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