Wonder Woman of the Week: Anna Pavlova

Anybody who has ever taken an introductory ballet class will know this week’s Wonder Woman. She stands today as the most important woman in the history of ballet working hard in her career to make ballet the performance art it is today. She toured the world, made ballet a household name in dance, and she even had a national dessert named after her. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Anna Pavlova.

Anna Pavlova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1881. Pavlova was raised by a single mother who told young Anna she was a daughter from a previous marriage to a fictitious man named Pavel. The young girl’s imagination and curiosity led her to her passion for ballet and was famous for describing this passion in adulthood. “I always wanted to dance; from my youngest years… Thus I built castles in the air out of my hopes and my dreams.” [1]

In 1891, Anna Pavlova entered the Imperial Theatre School and developed a friendship with the choreographer Marius Petipa. In 1898, Pavlova made her ballet debut with the Mariinsky ballet company and was made an official ballerina in 1906. In 1907, Pavlova performed as the lead role in The Dying Swan and it became her signature role. She went on to travel outside the country in 1909 to perform in Paris and London, and in the United States in 1910. In 1913, Pavlova established her own ballet company- the Pavlova Company- and began traveling all over the world. [2]

In 1915, Anna Pavlova left Russia a second time to tour the world- this time with her own ballet company which included a multinational cast. Pavlova joined the Boston Grand Opera Company for her tour in the United States before filming The Dumb Girl of Portici in Hollywood. [3] After touring in the United States for the second time, Pavlova went on tour in the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. Her tour in Australia and New Zealand left such a mark that not only was a meringue dessert named after her- for her light a airy motion on the stage- but an international conflict over which country created the dessert in the first place. (New Zealand had to get official status from the Oxford English Dictionary for being the true home country of the Pavlova meringue.) [4]

Ballerina Anna Pavlova was the perfect woman to be the namesake of an airy, white meringue. Pavlova was famous for her image. Her dark eyes and black hair contrasted with her pale skin to make for one of the most beautiful women of her time. On top of that, her skill at dance hypnotized audiences and her range of character made her a multifaceted master of dance. She personified the movements of wild animals and brought the motions of flowers and trees the character of classical heroes. Outside of the theatre, Pavlova was known for her talent of protecting her innocent image outside of the spotlight. Known for her elegance, Pavlova always appeared perfectly groomed, and mastered the art of the publicity. [5]

Wonder Woman Anna Pavlova earned her career title after growing up in poverty. Using only her curiosity for fairytales and passion for performance, Anna Pavlova became the ballerina to make ballet an international sensation. Her performances mesmerized audiences on four continents. Her talents caused an international conflict- over dessert. Most importantly, Pavlova paired her on-stage image of the perfect woman with an off-stage image of a well mannered and well respected businesswoman.

“Anna Pavlova Biography.” Biography.com. A&E Entertainment; nd. Web. 28 September 2016.

“Anna Pavlova: Dancer Biography.” Royal Opera House. Arts Council England, nd. Web. 28 September 2016.

“Anna Pavlova.” 100 Dance Treasures. Dance Heritage Coalition, 2011. Web. 28 September 2016.

“Pavlova created in New Zealand not Australia, OED rules.” BBC News. British Broadcasting Network, 2 December 2010. Web. 28 September 2016.

“Anna Pavlova.” Victoria and Albert Museum. np, nd. Web. 28 September 2016.