Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (Imperial Ballet School)
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(12 poems written by Anna Pavlova)
12 poems written by Anna Pavlova
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Anna was born on February 12,1881, to an unwed mother, Lyubov Feodorovna who was a laundress. Her biological father was rumored to be the banker Lazar Polyakov. Her mother later married Matvey Pavlov who adopted the little girl as his own daughter.
Young Anna became fascinated with dancing after watching a performance of ‘The Sleeping Beauty’. Inspired, she auditioned for the famous Imperial Ballet School where she was accepted in 1891 at the age of ten.
Anna had severely arched feet and long, thin limbs which made training difficult. But she was not discouraged and spent long hours practising and improved her technique under the coaching of renowned teachers like Christian Johansson, Enrico Cecchetti and Nikolai Legat. She graduated from the Imperial Ballet School in 1899 at age of 18.
Anna's official debut was at the the Mariinsky Theatre in Pavel Gerdt's Les Dryades pretendues in 1899. Her performance was greatly appreciated by the great critic and historian Nikolai Bezobrazov. She was a very gifted ballerina and could perform in various classical variations such as pas de deux and pas de trios. Through her hard work and grace she became a favourite of the old maestro Petipa who selected her to play the title role in ‘Paquita’.
She rose through the ranks quickly and became danseuse in 1902 and premiere danseuse in 1905, and was eventually named the prima ballerina in 1906. Her popularity soared and her fans started calling themselves the Pavlovatzi. She suffered from rigid feet and thus added a piece of hard wood to the sole of her pointe shoe to strengthen it. This was considered cheating during those times though it formed the basis for the creation of the modern pointe shoe.
In 1905, Anna performed the lead solo in Michael Fokine’s ‘The Dying Swan’ which had music by Camille Saint-Sans. Her frail and supple body allowed her to perform the delicate movements to perfection and this role came to be known as her signature role.
With the passage of time she began choreographing several solos herself. She wore a gossamer gown and large dragonfly wings while performing in the ballet ‘The Dragonfly’ for which she also acted as the choreographer.
Anna was known to embark on long and grueling tours across the world to perform. Her first tour was in 1907 when she traveled all over Europe along with a group of dancers and performed in Berlin, Copenhagen, Prague among other major cities. The tour was highly successful.
Anna joined Sergei Diaghilev's Ballet Russe on its tour in 1909. The company frequently visited Australia and the dancers had a deep influence on the future of Australian dance. She toured the United States and the United Kingdom in 1910.
The year 1911 was an important one for the ballerina. She founded her own company which allowed her to retain complete creative control over the performances. Along with her company she tirelessly toured all over the world for the next several years. Pavlova died of pleurisy in The Hague on January 22, 1931.
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova is remembered as one of the most famous dancers of all time. She reached the pinnacles of glory during the early 20th century with her slim frame, ethereal looks, and graceful dreamlike dance moves.
Anna Pavlova was the first to complete 37 turns while on top of a moving elephant while on a tour in China.
There are at least five memorials to Pavlova in London, England: a contemporary sculpture by Tom Merrifield of Pavlova as the Dragonfly in the grounds of Ivy House, a sculpture by Scot George Henry Paulin in the middle of the Ivy House pond, a blue plaque on the front of Ivy House, a statuette sitting with the urn that holds her ashes in Golders Green Crematorium, and the gilded statue atop the Victoria Palace Theatre.
When the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, England, opened in 1911, a gilded statue of Pavlova had been installed above the cupola of the theatre. This was taken down for its safety during World War II and was lost. In 2006, a replica of the original statue was restored in its place.
(12 poems written by Anna Pavlova)
Pavlova was a Russian Orthodox. Religious principles served as a unifying force in her spiritual life. Her associates averred that she was a deeply religious woman; frequently they observed her making the Sign of the Cross before performances.
Quotations:
"Dancing is my gift and my life. .. God gave me this gift to bring delight to others. I am haunted by the need to dance. It is the purest expression of every emotion, earthly and spiritual. It is happiness."
"God gives talent. Work transforms talent into genius."
"Master technique and then forget about it and be natural."
"Where there is no heart there is no art."
"The right to happiness is fundamental."
"It is useless to dabble in beauty. One must be utterly devoted to beauty, with every nerve of the body."
"To follow without halt, one aim; there is the secret of success. And success? What is it? I do not find it in the applause of the theater; it lies rather in the satisfaction of accomplishment."
"To tend, unfailingly, unflinchingly, towards a goal, is the secret of success."
"If I could have said it, I shouldn't have had to dance it."
"Whenever I have had a sudden urge to quit dancing, I just remember that moment I had when I was young and remember that dancing is what I want to do."
"Dance is the purest expression of every emotion, earthly and spiritual."
Physical Characteristics: Pavlova, considered frail—she was often characterized as too thin later in her career—and not conventionally beautiful, was nevertheless exceptionally supple, with beautifully arched insteps.
Anna is believed to have married her manager and companion, Victor Dandre. This fact was never confirmed from her side as she kept her personal life a closely guarded secret.
