Influential Women of History – Anna Pavlova

Ava DiPalantino, Freshman

Anna Pavlova was a legendary Russian prima ballerina. Her life and legacy are often overlooked during Women’s History Month, but her story is just as beautiful and empowering as her dancing!

Anna Pavlova as Giselle (*photo courtesy of mediastorehouse.com*)

Anna Pavlova always strived for perfection, but never let it get in the way of grace and artistry. Her teacher, the famed Cecchetti, said: “I can teach everything connected with dancing, but Pavlova has that which can only be taught by God”. But why would he think that? She often danced with bad turnout, bent knees, and misplaced port de bras (movement of the arms). She had long limbs, thin ankles, highly arched feet, and an extremely frail figure, which was the opposite of the ideal ballerina body back then. In the 1800s, ballerinas were short and muscular. Pavlova’s dancing was so graceful, artistic, poetic, and perfectly unique that she changed the entire aesthetic of ballet for centuries to come! She specifically showed her uniqueness when she had the role of Odette in Swan Lake with the Imperial Ballet (Mariinsky Theatre today). She is known for her beautiful Dying Swan variation, where her pale skin and thin frame added to the elegance and sadness of the performance.

Anna Pavlova dancing the Dying Swan Variation (*photo courtesy of Nation Portrait Gallery*)

Pavlova was born on February 12, 1881, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her father died when she was 2, so she was raised by her mother, who worked as a laundress for a banker. She was regularly sick and was often sent to live with her grandparents. So how could this tragic peasant girl become the most influential ballerina in history? Well, when she was young, her mother brought her to see a production of The Sleeping Beauty, which inspired her love of ballet. Although her family was extremely impoverished, the government funded skilled performers and dancers in the country. After being rejected from the Imperial School of Ballet for looking too sickly and pale, she was accepted the next year! Although her body was unideal, her talent and potential overshadowed it. At the school, other students made fun of her for her skinny frame, calling her “the broom” and “la petite sauvage”. She overcame bullying while maintaining an intense and strict schedule, often seeking extra lessons. Her high arches caused her to have to work harder at strengthening her ankles and feet to be able to dance en pointe. Although she wasn’t a natural prodigy, her passion for ballet and determination to succeed carried her through the academy and caused her to be accepted into the Imperial Ballet right after graduation!

Anna Pavlova as a child (image courtesy of *Museumoflost.com*)

Anna Pavlova’s success teaches how people can achieve anything if they work hard and have enough passion. Women’s History Month is the perfect time to learn about lesser-known female icons that you can learn from and look up to!

Sources:

https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/p/pa-pn/anna-pavlova