#art, #dance, #poem, Featuring Anna Pavlova

One of the most beautiful ballerinas the ballet world has ever seen. And as a matter of fact for history, Anna Pavlova did change the aesthetics of a female dancer. The fact that she was slim, and ethereal, and not strong and short like previous ballerinas, revolutionised the ballet world…

Anna Pavlova was born in St. Petersburg in 1881. She was a principal dancer with The Imperial Russian Ballet as well as with The Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev. She was internationally recognised for creating the role of The Dying Swan, (1905) choreographed by Michel Fokine with the music of «Le Cygne» (The Swan), from the Carnaval of the Animals (1887), composed by Camille Saint-Saëns. She was also brilliant in other roles from ballets like Swan Lake, Les Sylphides and Coppelia. Pavlova had her own company and with it she was the first female principal dancer to tour the world. She danced not only in Russia and Europe but also in South America, Australia, Mexico and India.

When Anna was nine years old she was taken by her mother to see Marius Petipa’s production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Imperial Maryinsky Theatre (1890). Anna was so impressed that she wanted to dance and her mother took her to audition for the Imperial Ballet School but she was rejected. The next year she came back and was accepted (1891). Her first stage appearance, as a student for the school was in Petipa’s Un conte de fées, specially staged for a student performance.

Anna had a brilliant career. She was also an exceptionally giving and charitable person. She had many girls living in a home she supported in Paris. And as well she was a passionate animal lover. She had many cats, dogs, birds and even a swan and often posed with them for photographs. She had a favourite swan which she named Jack with whom she had a portrait done.

Anna Pavlova died of pleurisy two days before her 50th birthday. It is said that he last words were, «Get my Swan costume ready.» Following an old ballet tradition, when she was to have performed a single spotlight circled an empty stage where Pavlova would have danced.

As a lover of music and dance, I find poetry in both art forms and a brilliant poet in a most dedicated dancer such as Mme. Pavlova. I hope you enjoy this short clip of The Swan. I understand that with the advances and the gymnastics included in most of today’s ballets or dance pieces, her work may look simple and archaic. But remember that this was from 1905.

CHEERS