Legends of Russian Ballet: Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) (About the book “Anna Pavlova”, OOO “Art Deco”, St. Petersburg, 2006)

Anna Pavlova's Portrait

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Anna Pavlova, artiste des Theatres Imperiaux, St. Petersburg, Russia, was born on January 31, 1881 in St. Petersburg to a regular family, father: a soldier, mother: a laundry lady.

Anna spent her childhood at grandmother’s home in Ligovo. When she was ten, she moved to live with with her mother at 5 Kazan Street, St. Petersburg, entered the Theatrical (Ballet) College here, studied well and in 1899 graduated from it together with 8 other talented students.

The same year she started her dancing career as an extra and up to the end of the year carried the title “Mrs. Pavlova the second” because the first one was the other dancer with the same family name till she had retired. Anna’s salary was at that time 800 roubles a year. Then gradually, year by year, Mrs. Anna Pavlova worked her way up and really became the first of the firsts in the ballet world.

Charlie Chaplin ( the photo of them in 1916) told about her:

“In her art besides her brilliant technique, there was some kind of bright shining tenderness resembling a leaflet of a white rose. Each her movement as if drawn to you. When Pavlova showed up on the stage I always wanted to cry with tears no matter as she was joyful and charming because for me she was the personification of the tragedy of perfection in the arts”.

All her life she mastered her dancing skills and tried to open her dance classes to follow her. So, in my photo gallery above one can see her surrounded by her students.

Dance, dance, dance…

Such a dedication to the profession takes a toll on any person. Geniuses are hard workers, I noticed. Anna Pavlova was a genius of dancing.

“Prepare my Swan costume for performing in “Dying Swan” were her last words before the death.

Geniuses never die, they continue to live in us, in our memories, in books, in scuptures and pictures, moving images, so called cinematograph.

Watch movie:

Anna Pavlova, Part 1/19, 1983; Part 2/19, 1983;Part 3/19, 1983;Part 4/19, 1983;

Part 5/19, 1983;Part 6/19, 1983;Part 7/19, 1983;Part 8/19 (Dying Swan), 1983;

Part 9/19, 1983;Part 10/19, 1983;Part 11/19, 1983;Part 12/19, 1983;Part 13/19, 1983;

Part 14/19, 1983;Part 15/19, 1983;Part 16/19, 1983;Part 17/19, 1983;Part 18/19, 1983;Part 19/19, 1983.