Years of Anna Pavlova's life, famous ballerinas and... Anna Pavlova

A fragile girl who was not accepted into ballet school, Anna Pavlova in her time - and, perhaps, today - is the most famous ballerina in the world. Pavlova was the first dancer to organize world ballet tours. Her image has become synonymous with Russian ballet of the 20th century. And most famous role The prima's repertoire included a sensual 130-second miniature “The Dying Swan” to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns.

born on February 12, 1881 in the village of Ligovo near St. Petersburg. Despite the fact that the mother of the future ballerina, Lyubov Fedorovna, raised Anna on her own and did not have sufficient funds, she still tried to please her daughter as much as possible. And then one day, when Anna was 8 years old, her mother took her to Mariinskii Opera House for the ballet "Sleeping Beauty". The girl, who had an innate, subtle sense of beauty, instantly fell in love with the art of ballet and realized that she wanted to become a ballerina.

Lyubov Fedorovna supported her daughter’s wish, but Anna was too young to enter the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School, so she was accepted there only two years later. And at first, she did not inspire much hope in many teachers, since she was too fragile in build, which gave her sickly look. But she lived for ballet and did everything possible to achieve perfection.

During her studies, Anna stood out from other students with her slender body and long legs. Today, such a figure would only suit a modern ballerina, but in Pavlova’s time, classical dancers were small and had a more compact body. Despite her innate talent, classical ballet was difficult for Pavlova, as she had weak ankles and very inflexible legs. She eventually solved this problem by adding a piece of hardwood to the sole for durability. This helped her get on pointe shoes because it reduced the pain.

Nikolay Legat and Anna Pavlova

At the age of 18 she graduated from ballet school and was accepted into the corps de ballet of the Mariinsky Theater. Soon more responsible parties began to trust her. Pavlova danced in such classical ballets like “The Nutcracker”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Raymonda”, “La Bayadère” and “Giselle”. And after 7 years of work at the Mariinsky in 1906 she became the leading ballerina of the theater.

Had a huge impact on Anna Pavlova founder of the romantic ballet Mikhail Fokine. She danced in his ballets Chopiniana, Armida's Pavilion and Egyptian nights" But their main working together became the choreographic miniature “The Dying Swan”, first presented in 1907 at a charity evening at the Mariinsky Theater.

This image was born from Fokin and Pavlova literally out of thin air. Mikhail Fokin came up with the idea for Anna a concert number to the music of Saint-Saëns in just a few minutes, improvising with her. This is how the image of a swan floating smoothly on the water was born. Subsequently, this role became a symbol of Russian ballet of the twentieth century.

« Pavlova- this is a cloud hovering above the earth, Pavlova- this is a flame that flares up and dies out, this is autumn leaf, driven by a gust of icy wind...", - wrote one critic.

Choreography by Mikhail Fokine, music by Saint-Saëns and performance Anna Pavlova created a role filled with the agony of the swan's final flight. The audience was captivated by the gentle movements Pavlova and a tense expression on her face as the ballerina tried to convey all the fragility of life in dance. It was the role of “The Dying Swan” that became the signature role in the repertoire Pavlova and glorified her throughout the world.

The only recording of Anna Pavlova

Glory Pavlova grew up. In 1909, the ballerina took part in the “Russian Season” campaign of Sergei Diaghilev in Paris, after which she became his symbol, and about Anna Pavlova the whole world knew. A year later, the ballerina created her own troupe and went on a tour of major European cities, including Berlin, Copenhagen and Prague. For 20 years she toured all over the world, also covering the UK and the USA. She especially loved Australia, which she visited quite often, influencing the Australian dance culture in many ways. Exactly Pavlova inspired Frederick Ashton, who later became a dancer and chief choreographer at the Royal ballet school in London.

“Flexible, graceful, musical, with facial expressions full of life and fire, she surpasses everyone with her amazing airiness. How quickly and magnificently this bright, versatile talent blossomed,” this is how the press spoke about the ballerina.

In 1912, she purchased Ivy House in London, where she spent her few holidays. She loved animals and birds very much, so there were a lot of them on her estate. The ballerina's eyes were especially pleased with two beautiful white swans. Last performance Anna Pavlova in St. Petersburg took place in 1913, after which the ballerina never returned to Russia.

Talent is a gift and hard work is a choice. She knew this very well, and if one half of her life was spent under the bright lights of the stage, then the other half was spent behind the stage, in daily training near the machine. She knew that without self-improvement she would never become a great ballerina. “I owe my success to continuous work and to my worthy teachers,” I wrote in the book “Pages of My Life.” Thanks to tireless, exhausting training, a great ballerina was born who eclipsed the entire dance world.

In 1983 about life Anna Pavlova A five-episode television film directed by Emil Loteanu was shot. The plot of this picture covers the life of a ballerina from the moment of her first acquaintance with ballet to last day life.

Galina Belyaeva as Anna Pavlova

Exhausted by tours and the constant stress of performances, she died on January 23, 1931 in The Hague from pneumonia. The ballerina was 49 years old. If you believe the legend, her last words before her death were addressed to her costume designer: “Get my swan costume ready!”

Unlike many other ballerinas, she did not leave behind an heiress. And this is not because the prima did not want to share her skills with anyone, on the contrary, she even had her own ballet school in England, and she always devoted everything to her students free time and love. Simply, as the critic Andrei Levinson said: “Her art was born and died with her - to dance like Pavlova, you had to be Pavlova.”

Today marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of ballerina Anna Pavlova.

Anna Pavlovna (Matveevna) Pavlova was born on February 12 (January 31), 1881 in St. Petersburg. Her mother Lyubov Fedorovna was a laundress, and retired soldier Matvey Fedorovich Pavlov was recorded as her father. Later, it was suggested that she was in fact an illegitimate child and had a different father.

In 1891, Anna Pavlova entered the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg. After graduating from ballet school in 1899, she was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater and made her debut in the ballet “The Pharaoh's Daughter” to the music of Cesar Pugni, staged by Saint-Georges and Petipa.

Her collaboration with choreographers Alexander Gorsky and Mikhail Fokin had a great influence on her work.

In 1906, Anna Pavlova became the leading dancer of the troupe. She was the first and main performer of roles in Fokine's ballets Chopiniana, Armida's Pavilion, Egyptian Nights and others.

In 1907, at a charity evening at the Mariinsky Theater, Anna Pavlova first performed the choreographic miniature “The Swan” (later “The Dying Swan”) staged for her by Mikhail Fokin, which later became one of the symbols of Russian ballet of the 20th century.

Since 1908, she began touring abroad, participating in the famous “Russian Seasons” of Sergei Diaghilev in Paris, which marked the beginning of her world fame. A poster by Valentin Serov with a silhouette of Anna Pavlova became the emblem of the “Russian Seasons”. During a tour in Sweden, King Oscar II awarded her the Order of Merit for the Arts.

In 1909, Pavlova first performed with independent production at the Suvorinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

In 1910, she created her own troupe, with which she toured in many countries around the world. Especially for Pavlova's troupe, Mikhail Fokin staged "Preludes" to the music of Franz Liszt and "Seven Daughters of the Mountain King" to the music of Alexander Spendiarov.

Her performances in the USA were very popular. However, in connection with her tour in America, a conflict began between the ballerina and the management of the Mariinsky Theater, since the trip was a violation of the contract. However, on the initiative of the theater management in 1913, Pavlova was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist imperial theaters and was awarded a gold medal.

The ballerina's last performance at the Mariinsky Theater took place in 1913. In 1914, she last time performed in Russia - May 31 in St. Petersburg People's House, June 7 at Pavlovsky Station, June 3 at the Mirror Theater of the Moscow Hermitage Garden. After this, the ballerina left for England.

In 1915 in the USA, Pavlova starred in feature film"The Mute from Portici" In 1924, miniatures performed by Pavlova were filmed in Hollywood, which were later included in the film " Immortal swan" (1956).

After the revolution of 1917, Anna Pavlova sent parcels to students of the St. Petersburg Ballet School, translated large cash to the starving people of the Volga region, organized charity performances.

On January 17, 1931, the ballerina arrived on tour in The Hague (Netherlands). However, on January 20, the planned performance did not take place due to her illness. On January 23, Anna Pavlova died of pleurisy. Her body was cremated and her ashes are in London.

For a long time, Anna Pavlova had a personal relationship with Baron Victor Dandre, a representative of an old French family. In 1910, the authorities of St. Petersburg accused the Senate official Dandre of embezzlement of funds allocated for the construction of the Okhtinsky Bridge. Pavlova posted bail in order to release him from prison. Since 1912, Victor Dandre lived in London, acting as Pavlova's impresario and director of the troupe.

The biography of Pavlova, written by Victor Dandre and published in London in 1932, contains the most extensive summary biographical information about the legendary actress, whose art shocked the world at the beginning of the 20th century.

Named after Anna Pavlova international prizes and bonuses. Numbers from her repertoire are danced by the world's leading ballerinas. French choreographer Roland Petit staged the ballet "My Pavlova".

A variety of white tulips was named in honor of the great ballerina in Holland. A five-part film directed by Emil Loteanu, filmed in 1983, is dedicated to Anna Pavlova.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources.

“An artist must know everything about love and learn to live without it.”
Anna Pavlova

She was called “Divine” and “Delightful”. They said that she was “ White Swan” and even “Fairy of the Swan Flock”. One girl wrote to her parents: “Remember, you told me: whoever sees a fairy will be happy all his life. I saw a living fairy - her name is Anna Pavlova.”

Brilliant Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova became a legend during her lifetime. Journalists competed with each other to write stories about her. She read myths about herself in newspapers - and laughed. Legends surround her name to this day.

She never talked about her personal life, in which there was only one man. Her whole life - true, real, known and open to everyone - was in dance. And she managed to die before she left the stage...

The most famous ballerina of the past century, Anna Pavlova (1881–1931), whose life was completely devoted to ballet, about whom there were many rumors and legends, wished to leave everything that did not concern her work secret. Nothing was known about her personal life. And only after her death did the world learn about the beautiful and tragic story love, the secret of which the legendary ballerina kept in her heart for thirty long years.

Anna Pavlova was born on January 31 (February 12), 1881. Her father died very early, and the girl was raised by her mother. Although they lived in constant poverty, Lyubov Fedorovna, working as a laundress, tried to brighten up the difficult childhood of her “beloved Nyura.” On name days and Christmas, gifts were always waiting for the girl, brought by a caring, generous hand, and when Anna turned eight, her mother took her to the Mariinsky Theater to see the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty.”

So the future dancer fell in love with this art forever, and two years later the thin and sickly girl was accepted into the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School. Eight years later, Pavlova became the leading actress of the Mariinsky Theater, and after the stunning success in the role of Nikia in La Bayadère, she was already called the first soloist of the Mariinsky Theater.

Newspapers wrote with delight about the aspiring ballerina: “Flexible, musical, with facial expressions full of life and fire, she surpasses everyone with her amazing airiness. When Pavlova plays and dances, there is a special mood in the theater.”

She had admirers, men made dates for her, gave her gifts, but Anna rejected everyone, and generous gifts sent back to confused suitors. She was proud, sensual and unpredictable. “I am a nun of art. Personal life? This is theater, theater, theater,” Pavlova never tired of repeating.

However, the girl was lying. It was at that time that an incomprehensible, still unknown feeling flared up in the heart of the young ballerina. Those close to her knew that she spent all her free time with the rich, handsome Victor Dandre (1870–1944). The new acquaintance came from an aristocratic family, belonging to an old noble family. He held a high post of adviser in the Senate, was well educated, owned several foreign languages and was seriously interested in art. Patronizing an aspiring ballerina, as members of the imperial family had done before him, seemed prestigious to Victor.

The young entrepreneur became the patron of the young artist, which, however, was quite fashionable at that time. However, Victor did not even think about marrying her. He rented an apartment for Pavlova, equipped one of the rooms for dance hall, which for a young ballerina was an unaffordable luxury at that time. Each time, meeting a girl after a performance, Victor presented her with luxurious gifts, took her to expensive restaurants, invited her to the company of wealthy, intelligent and famous people, and in the evening he brought her to the apartment, where he often remained as the owner until the morning.

But the further Pavlova got to know her new acquaintance, the more clearly she understood that Dandre did not need her at all, but unequal marriage with a modest girl is impossible for him. And she left him, preferring loneliness to the humiliating position of a kept woman. “At first I struggled,” Pavlova recalled, “out of grief I just started to go on a spree, wanting to prove something to him!” And then, once again following her motto, she returned to work.

She trained again, toured with her favorite theater troupe and danced eight to ten times a week. At that time, another meeting took place in her life, which changed a lot in her life. famous dancer. The great choreographer Fokine staged “The Dying Swan” for her to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns, which forever became the ballerina’s signature number and flew around the world. Much later, when the composer met Pavlova, he, delighted with her performance, exclaimed: “Madam, thanks to you, I realized that I wrote amazing music!”

In 1907, the Mariinsky Theater went on tour to Stockholm. It was after these tours in Europe that they first started talking about the brilliant young ballerina, whose performances were such a rapid success that even Emperor Oscar II, admiring Pavlova’s talent, presented her with the Order of Merit for the Arts at parting. The enthusiastic crowd greeted the ballerina with applause. “I was greeted with a whole storm of applause and enthusiastic shouts. I didn’t know what to do,” recalled Anna Pavlova. It was a real triumph. Anna became famous, she had money, she could already afford a lot. The ballerina tried not to think about Victor.

Meanwhile, things were not going well for Dandre. After making a bad deal, the entrepreneur owes a huge amount, which he failed to repay on time. He went to prison without finding large sum the money needed to post bail and release him during the lengthy trial. Relatives were unable to raise funds, and rich friends turned their backs on their unlucky partner. For Dandre, a difficult period of painful waiting behind bars began in loneliness and doubt.

And Anna shone already in Paris. Sergei Diaghilev, who opened Russian in the French capital ballet theater, inviting Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky there, did not miscalculate. They started talking about the Russian theater, people from high society began to visit it, people came from all over Europe to see the Russian ballerina, the theater was invited to Australia and America.

The future seemed so tempting and bright. However, Pavlova unexpectedly left Paris and headed to London. A few months later, Diaghilev learned that his favorite soloist had signed a contract with the famous theatrical agency "Braff", under the terms of which she had to dance twice a day in three countries- England, Scotland, Ireland. For this, the dancer received an advance - an impressive amount for those times.

She immediately sent the collected money to Russia to free Victor from prison. A few days later, in 1911, he left St. Petersburg and headed abroad. “In Paris, I decided that I couldn’t live without Dandre. “I immediately called him to my place,” Pavlova recalled. - We got married in church, in secret. He’s mine, only mine, and I adore him.”

With Victor Dandre

Their marriage remained a secret long years. Victor kept his promise to Anna on his wedding day. He swore to remain silent about their union. The former patron responded to his generosity with a strong feeling that flared up in his heart so as not to fade away until his last days.

When the contract came to an end, Anna decided to organize her own theater and recruited a troupe of artists. So the former prima of the Mariinsky Theater became the owner of a small theater. That same year she bought luxury mansion near London, on the shore cleanest lake, where white swans swam and exotic plants brought by the ballerina from different corners peace. It seemed that the fate of the spouses did not depend on anyone else.

Pavlova in her mansion in London

Victor took upon himself all the household chores, the responsibilities of an accountant and manager. He answered correspondence, conducted business and personal negotiations, organized tours, looked after costumes and scenery, hired and fired actors. However, Pavlova increasingly expressed displeasure. She reproached her husband, made a fuss, screamed, broke dishes and cried.

After much hysterics and tears, the ballerina’s spouses reconciled, and it seemed that their family idyll was again not in danger. Once again, Victor solved all his wife’s problems, and Anna ran around the house and theatrically shouted to the maid: “Who dared to clean his shoes? Who in my house dares to make tea for him? It's my business!"

However, the emotional and temperamental Pavlova could immediately change her mood and rush at Victor with new grievances. Friends, who often witnessed these quarrels, later asked Dandre how he could endure all this and why he did not leave Anna. He was silent. Apparently, he had his own reasons for this, known only to the two of them.

He idolized her, thanking her for her generosity and generosity. She could not forget the long-standing insult inflicted on him in his youth. Whether she forgave him is unlikely to ever be known. But there was no doubt about the sincerity of Victor’s feelings. When his wife died on January 23, 1931 from pneumonia, just a few days short of her fiftieth birthday, Victor, broken by grief, for a long time could not return to normal life.

He didn’t want to believe that Pavlova was no more. Having created a club of fans of his famous wife, Victor Dandre wanted only one thing - that great ballerina The 20th century was remembered for many years. Unfortunately, the club did not survive for long. Nevertheless, the name of the Russian ballerina, the legendary Anna Pavlova, has forever entered the history of world ballet.

Biography and episodes of life Anna Pavlova. When born and died Anna Pavlova, memorable places and dates important events her life. Ballerina Quotes, Photo and video.

Years of Anna Pavlova's life:

born January 31, 1881, died January 23, 1931

Epitaph

“Wait a minute,
Running tirelessly
To bow to the one
What was called Anna."
From a poem by Eric Willis in memory of Anna Pavlova (translated by T. Yufit)

Biography

She devoted her life to ballet and became famous throughout the world. Surprisingly, her first teachers were sure that the girl was not created for the difficult ballet school, but Anna managed to prove to everyone that if you work hard and live what you love, success is inevitable. Biography of Anna Pavlova - life story great woman, whose name is known to any ballet fan.

As a child, Pavlova's life was not easy - she did not even know who her father was, and her mother could barely make ends meet. But despite difficult situation, one day, to please her daughter, Pavlova’s mother took her to see “The Sleeping Beauty” at the Mariinsky Theater. Later in her autobiography, Pavlova recalled that she froze from the very first notes - the ballet enchanted her. That evening she realized what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. The first person to see talent in Pavlova was great choreographer Marius Petipa: “A feather in the wind - it will fly on stage.” Immediately after graduating from college, Pavlova was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater, which once decided her fate, and soon became its leading dancer. When she first performed the miniature “Swan” (“The Dying Swan”) at a charity evening, she could not even guess that these 130 seconds of dance would later become a symbol of Russian ballet. The composer Camille Saint-Saëns himself, the author of the suite “Carnival of the Animals”, from which “The Swan” was based, wished to meet with Pavlova in order to make a confession: “Madame, thanks to you, I understood what I wrote wonderful music! World fame came to Pavlova’s life with her participation in the “Russian Seasons”, which was organized in Paris by Sergei Diaghilev, a Russian theatrical figure. Soon Anna went on tour around the world with her own troupe. When did the revolution take place in Russia, and then began Civil War, Pavlova decided not to return to her homeland.

By the time Pavlova finally moved abroad, she already had a loved one, Victor Dandre. Pavlova loved him for a long time, but the rich man and aristocrat did not reciprocate her feelings. When Dandre got into trouble and lost all his money, Pavlova, according to rumors, decided to sign a contract with the New York theater. She rescued her beloved from prison, and he finally saw in her loving woman and also sincerely loved her. Pavlova and Dandre bought a house in the suburbs of London, in the pond of which white swans swam, one of which, named Jack, was always waiting for his owner from her long tours.

The Russian ballerina toured tirelessly. During her life, Anna Pavlova traveled almost the whole world, visiting America, China, Japan, India, the Philippines and even Australia. The costumes for her performances were created by the most famous artists, women imitated her way of dressing, and her fees were fabulous. And she continued to yearn for Russia. And although she could not return there, she constantly sent money to Russian theater troupes and food to her starving compatriots.

Pavlova's death occurred during her next tour - in The Hague. Pavlova's cause of death was pneumonia. Anna Pavlova's funeral took place in London - first, Pavlova's body was buried in a Russian church, then it was burned in a London crematorium. Pavlova's grave, in accordance with her will, was supposed to be in Russia. But the husband prevented the ballerina from fulfilling her will, declaring, however, that he was not against Pavlova’s burial in her homeland if they promised to create the proper conditions for this. One way or another, the urn with Pavlova’s ashes is still kept in the columbarium of the English crematorium.

The miniature “The Dying Swan” performed by Pavlova has become a classic of world ballet

Life line

January 31, 1881 Date of birth of Anna Pavlovna (Matveevna) Pavlova.
1889 Graduation from the Imperial Theater School, joining the Mariinsky Theater troupe.
1906 Leading dancer of the troupe.
1907 The first performance of Pavlova's miniature "Swan", which later became one of the symbols of Russian ballet.
1909 Pavlova’s participation in the “Russian Seasons” in Paris.
1910 Pavlova tours abroad with her own troupe.
1913 Pavlova's last performance at the Mariinsky Theater.
1914 Pavlova's last performance in Russia.
1921-1925 Touring the USA, performing in India.
January 23, 1931 Date of death of Pavlova.
January 29, 1931 Pavlova's funeral.

Memorable places

1. Ligovo, where Pavlova was born.
2. Pavlova's house in St. Petersburg, where she lived in 1910 and where it is installed today Memorial plaque Pavlova. Italianskaya street, 5.
3. Pavlova’s house in London (Ive House), where she lived in 1912-1931.
4. Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova (formerly the Imperial drama school), where Pavlova studied.
5. Mariinsky Theater, in whose troupe Pavlova danced.
6. The Metropolitan Opera Theater in New York, with which Pavlova worked under contract.
7. Theater Chatelet in Paris, where Pavlova performed while participating in the Russian Seasons.
8. Golders Green Crematorium in London, where Pavlova is buried (the urn with the ashes is kept in the crematorium columbarium).

Episodes of life

Anna Pavlova was friends with Charlie Chaplin. It was rumored that the great comedian and director was in love with the ballerina and dreamed of proposing to her, but never dared. When they met, Chaplin booked an entire restaurant for Pavlova. He also acted as a consultant to the ballerina when she needed to record her performances on film.

Dying, Pavlova asked everyone to leave the room, only the maid remained with her. The ballerina nodded to the girl at the dress she had recently bought from a fashionable Parisian couturier and said: “I would rather spend this money on my children.” Pavlova never had children; she talked about Russian orphan girls whom she had long ago taken into care. She organized a women's shelter in Saint-Cloud, placing the children in a mansion. Since then most of her earnings were used to give the girls not just shelter and food, but also education. She also made sure that each of her pupils could get a decent job after leaving the orphanage.

When Anna Pavlova's death became known on January 23, London's Apollo Theater decided to honor her during a performance. The lights in the hall were turned off, and a spotlight in the darkness, accompanied by the music of Saint-Saëns, traced the path that the ballerina took in her miniature “The Dying Swan.” The whole hall stood up silently - the whole world already knew about the death of the great ballerina.

Covenant

“If you pursue the same goal, you are sure to discover the secret of success.”

Documentary film in memory of Anna Pavlova from the series “Life and Legends”

Condolences

“If we look at her famous recording of The Dying Swan, we can, of course, notice that now ballerinas are more technical, perhaps even more beautiful, they look different... But I think that the awe that was inherent in Anna Pavlova , today not a single ballerina has. Even among the greatest and most famous. She managed to convey both the era and some kind of spiritual internal state in your dance. And I am sure that any ballerina, looking at her recordings today and comparing them with her own dance, will understand that something is still missing. And this “something” is something elusive, some inner strength, which was unique to this ballerina. So, despite all the progress, there is something inexplicable in the dance of people of the past, which, unfortunately, we may no longer find ... "
Evgenia Obraztsova, ballerina

“Anna Pavlova’s art was born and died with her - to dance like Pavlova, you had to be Pavlova.”
Andrey Levinson, ballet critic

“Pavlova managed to raise live dance to a height where only the spirit usually soars.”
Marina Tsvetaeva, poetess